Game Night (2018) Left Us Completely Blindsided, in the Best Way Possible

We went into Game Night expecting a straightforward comedy about a couples' game night gone slightly chaotic, and by the end we were completely won over by how much more the film actually delivers. Our overall verdict: this movie kept us guessing at every single turn and ended up being one of the more pleasant surprises we have reacted to.

This one matters for anyone who scrolled past Game Night thinking it was just another forgettable studio comedy, because from what we saw it is doing a lot more than that under the surface.

We Worried the Fake Kidnapping Plot Would Scare Our Foster Dog Cameron

We brought our foster dog Cameron along for the watch assuming this would be a safe, non scary movie for him to nap through. That assumption did not last long. "I thought this was going to be a straight comedy and I was like, he'll be fine. It's not a horror film. We're not going to be screaming and shouting to scare the dog. And then very early on it was like, oh no, I really hope he hasn't like pooped in the corner out of fear." As it turned out, there were real jump scares mixed into the comedy: "I screamed. I screamed a couple scrimps... dreamt a little bit. There were some spooky moments here."

The Callback Jokes, Like the Bungee Cord Story, Paid Off Later in the Movie

One of the things we praised most was how a throwaway embarrassing story early on, about Max being found tangled in a bungee cord as a kid, actually comes back into play later in the film. We loved that kind of tight, well written script where nothing feels wasted, and we also pointed out how the movie bookends itself nicely, opening with a proposal happening mid game and closing with a pregnancy reveal happening mid game as well.

The Rich People Fight Club and Kidnapping Twist Completely Wrongfooted Us

We kept trying to guess where the plot was going, from the fake murder mystery party to the reveal of an actual kidnapping involving Brooks and a Bulgarian smuggler, and we were wrong at almost every turn. We also singled out the brotherly conversation where Brooks admits "I've been trying to make it up to you" after years of faking his success, calling it a surprisingly earnest moment in the middle of all the chaos.

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams' Chemistry Stood Out to Us

We specifically praised how Bateman's character never gets nasty or belittling toward his wife even when frustrated, calling that dynamic refreshing to watch. We also gave credit to the wider ensemble, including Jesse Plemons as the unsettling neighbor Gary, saying his stillness and physical comedy made the character work.

Did the game night twist actually fool you the first time you saw this movie, or did you see it coming?