Dammit, I didn't want to laugh at the new Game Night trailer. But it's actually pretty funny. The latest film from John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein, who have more wiffs (Burt Wonderstone, Vacation, Horrible Bosses 2) than home runs (Ummmmmm Horrible Bosses? Cloudy 2?) , looks pretty stupid and lowbrow. But it has a great cast led by Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, and an easy to understand premise: What happens when a couple's weekly game night goes terribly wrong?
Looking like Date Night meets The Game meets Clue, the film co-stars Lamorne Morris, Jesse Plemons, Billy Magnussen, Jeffrey Wright, Kylie Bunbury, Sharon Horgun, and Kyle Chandler. Sure, I'll bite. Check out the official synopsis:
Bateman and McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks (Chandler), arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game…right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be. Over the course of one chaotic night, the friends find themselves increasingly in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn. With no rules, no points, and no idea who all the players are, this could turn out to be the most fun they’ve ever had…or game over.
We can already figure the kind of pansy, passive-aggressive character Bateman is playing, but the real gem of this trailer is McAdams whose comic skill has been sorely missed. We simply don't see it enough for someone who is so good at it.
Game Night opens March 2nd 2018.
