Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Miscellaneous | Film | November 3, 2025
Think about it: When is the last time you saw a great original studio comedy in theaters? There have been a few decent indie films in the 2020s (Bottoms, Friendship), although the latter is more of a horror movie. However, studios no longer produce great original comedies. I’m not talking about huge blockbusters that happen to have some humor (Barbie), funny superhero movies (Deadpool vs. Wolverine) or even the best fantasy comedy of this decade (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), all of which are IP-based. Nor am I talking about great streaming comedies (Palm Springs, Do Revenge). I’m talking about original, theatrical comedies. The studios barely even try anymore: Joy Ride was good, and Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings was OK. Whatever even happened to Melissa McCarthy’s run of studio comedies?
But original studio comedies? You have to look all the way back to 2018 for the last two: Blockers in April of that year, and the best original comedy of at least the last seven years: Game Night, which has returned to Netflix and is maybe the best two hours you’ll spend on your couch this fall.
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star as Max and Annie, a married couple who share a fiercely competitive streak and a weekly game night for their closest friends. Playtime goes from fun to freaky when Max’s cool big brother (Kyle Chandler) swaggers onto the scene with a bold new game that involves a kidnapping mystery and a big, flashy grand prize. But when real kidnappers crash the party, Max, Annie, and their pals are pitched out of their suburban complacency and into a wild world of eccentric smugglers, curious clues, car chases, and dizzying twists.
Daley and Goldstein, who also helmed the terrific Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves before studios completely abandoned comedy, assembled an impeccable ensemble that makes the most of every silly setup. While the ten-year age gap between Bateman and McAdams is a bit jarring, the pair share a crackling chemistry and expertly bounce banter and barbs off each other. Playing another self-involved jerk, Bateman’s cozy in his niche, and cruises competently. But McAdams shines, her eyes alive with excitement, whether she’s wielding a gun about to push tough guys into a submissive “child’s pose,” or if she’s giving a go at curbside emergency surgery. Her charisma and comedic timing make McAdams the film’s true star, even though its plot often sidles back to Max and his need to best his older, more handsome, more successful brother.
Kyle Chandler plays brilliantly against type, leaving Coach Taylor behind to revel in the role of a swaggering douchebag, who lives to rattle his little brother’s cage. It’s almost alarming to see him this way, but when he cracks a crooked grin and lands a crass punchline, it’s a dizzying delight. Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury score laughs as a pair of high school sweethearts in the middle of a bubbling fight. Irish actress Sharon Horgan is eye-catching and hilarious as a clever game night date, delivering side-eye and a charming vulnerability with equal ease. And Ingrid Goes West’s Billy Magnussen is perfectly cast as the crew’s lovable lunkheaded hunk, whose guileless grin coupled with a constant lag on the uptake ripped scream-like cackles out of this critic.
There are also sparkling appearances from Chelsea Peretti, Camille Chen, and Jeffrey Wright. But the performance that’ll have everyone talking is hands down Jesse Plemons as the couple’s creepy next-door neighbor. Stroking a fluffy white dog and speaking in a chilling monotone, Plemons is instantly unnerving. Playing an always-in-uniform police officer who’s desperate to get in on game night, he peels back layer after layer of social awkwardness, revealing more and more uncomfortable laughs with each scene. His is a deeply unlikable character, and yet, you can’t get enough of him. His every reaction seems on the edge of comedy and horror. His every line delivery at once unsettling and hysterical. It’s a surprisingly complex and blisteringly funny performance.
