Jesse Plemons is a national treasure.
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While he鈥檚 best known as the crazy Nazi punk from Breaking Bad, he鈥檚 been stellar in countless roles. Ever since he burst onto the scene in 2002鈥檚 Like Mike (the greatest non-Space Jam basketball movie of all time), he鈥檚 been excellent in everything from The Discovery to Black Mirror. He鈥檚 a committed actor who often outshines his more famous co-stars.
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Game Night is no different. The movie is headlined by Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, but Plemons is the main attraction. His deadpan seriousness and intensity is a winning formula in a comedy. He鈥檚 the only actor in the film afforded an actual, consistent character and he makes the most of it. He鈥檚 the highlight of the picture.
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While Game Night never approaches Plemons鈥� level of quality, it鈥檚 still a serviceable, well-made comedic distraction as we wind through the winter months.
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Jason Bateman鈥檚 Max loves to compete. Trivia, board games, charades; you name it, he鈥檚 won it. His wife Annie (Rachel McAdams) is equally driven. That鈥檚 about all the information the film provides about these thinly sketched characters. Oh, and they鈥檙e trying to get pregnant, which plays out as subtly as Fifty Shades Freed鈥檚 childbirth discussions.
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Max and Annie attend a game night hosted by Max鈥檚 ultra-successful brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler, sporting his permanently magnificent haircut). Brooks has arranged a murder-mystery game, but when real criminals break in and kidnap him, everyone scrambles to save him (while still thinking it鈥檚 all part of the game).
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It鈥檚 a decent-enough setup, although it sometimes feels more like an extended sitcom episode than a full movie. The plot is predictable and rote, with character developments coming a mile away. The criminals鈥� motivations are completely dull and even an appearance from the great Michael C. Hall can鈥檛 make the climax feel any less tired and generic.
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But in comedies like these, the plot doesn鈥檛 matter. How are the jokes? Not too bad. Like most American comedies these days, everybody spout off endless pop culture references. Thankfully, there鈥檚 a decent one-liner every few minutes. There鈥檚 not a lot of laugh-out-loud material in Night, but it鈥檚 usually chuckle worthy.
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The camerawork, surprisingly, does quite a bit to accentuate the humour. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein use zooms and close-ups to highlight the awkwardness of certain scenes (mostly with Plemons). Their lighting choices are interesting, bathing bars and mansions with a general seediness, making the characters鈥� obliviousness to the danger they鈥檙e in more hilarious. I also appreciated the touch of making establishing shots of neighborhoods and cars resemble pieces of a board game (unless that was just a massive technical goof, in which case I retract my praise).
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No one touches Plemons acting-wise in Night, but the cast is game. Billy Magnussen is fun as a moronic womanizer and Kyle Chandler infuses his character with the right level of smarm and likability. Bateman and McAdams mostly seem like they鈥檙e on autopilot, particularly Bateman, who just recycles his tired 鈥渆veryman鈥� schtick from Arrested Development. Hell, he even reuses his character arc from Juno.
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Game Night gets the job done. You laugh, you leave, you forget about it in a month. But it鈥檚 an enjoyable ride nonetheless. Plemons鈥� performance and good direction elevate the film above the usual comedy dreck in theatres. Definitely one to check out when it hits Netflix in a few months.
