All Fun and Games (2023)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Knife Cycle

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Refreshingly lean and unfussy, this horror movie tells a familiar story, but its strength lies in its vivid character relationship, its haunted location, and real-world consequences for actions taken.

The Fletcher family has lived in the same Salem, MA house for generations. Times are tough. The family's father is long gone, and the mother (Annabeth Gish), works long hours to support the family. Her brother, Uncle Bob (Erik Athavale), has been out of work for some time.

And brothers Marcus (Asa Butterfield) and Jo (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) frequently get into trouble, while their sister Billie (Natalia Dyer) hopes to move to New York with her boyfriend Pete (Kolton Stewart).

In an old abandoned cabin, Jo finds a strange knife that seems to be carved out of bone, with words written on the blade. After reading the words, he finds himself feeling strange, and, eventually, challenges his friends and family to "play a game." Things are about to get very bloody.

Produced by Anthony and Joe Russo, All Fun and Games probably didn't suffer much in the budget department, but it nonetheless has an appealing B-movie feel, perhaps best enjoyed late at night on TV with popcorn and friends.

It opens with narration by Dyer (Nancy from Stranger Things), introducing her family, as simple as it is, it's potent and effective. It's a mini-portrait of non-wealthy America, struggling, dissatisfied, but without much hope or choice. It makes the characters sympathetic and human. We're with them for the duration.

Meanwhile, the filmmaking — by former Russo assistants Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa, making their feature debut — is crisp and uses the space effectively, and especially the chilly Salem ambiance. All Fun and Games has some decent scares, but it often falls back on all-too-familiar twitchy jumps and fast-forward skittering for fright effects.

It also resorts to a "the-end-or-is-it?" finale, but before that, there's an ending that deals with the real-world fallout of the story, acknowledging that the survivors are going to have to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move on.