Game Night (2018) ****

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, to a screenplay by Mark Perez, Game Night is a comedy-action thriller, that delivers jokes while taking the audience on a wild ride. The film stars Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall and Kyle Chandler.
Game Night seems to have all the elements working in its favor: a clever script with an intriguing plot; plenty of one-liner jokes and funny situations so that even at its darkest moments, one cannot but laugh; a cast that has catchy chemistry and just flows with the story, making it almost believable, and a team of directors that keep the pace just right. Even if but one of those elements was off, the film would not have been able to pulled it off as well as it does, but that is not the case; there is perfect alignment.
The plot, in a nutshell and without any spoilers, follows a group of friends, in the habit of meeting for a competitive yet friendly evening of games, until one evening the stakes are raised a few notches; someone’s life are on the line.
If you are looking for clever fun at the movies, Game Night is for you.