Funny Games (remake)
| release date | March 14 2008 |
| studio | Warner Independent Pictures |
| director | Michael Haneke |
| writer | Michael Haneke |
| starring | Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart |
| rating | R |
| site | funnygames-themovie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
1 Comments
Very well made, and the best horror film of the last 10 years.
I knew `Funny Games’ was going to be awful about a third into the film but, I stayed and was wrong; it was one of the worst films I have ever seen. I honestly wish they would have called it, `the most boring pseudo-intelligent, pseudo-artistic piece of crap you will ever see,’ so I could have been prepared.
THIS IS ART HORROR AT ITS BEST. Its slow moving, painful for the audience and screws with you the viewer. I think MIchael Haneke is a genius and this is worth watching on dvd.
BUT THIS WAS BORN IN THE DV GERMAN ART FILM MOVEMENT the first one being made in 97.
There is no blood really, nor too much violence, its all about screwing with your head. This film is somewhat hitchcock and somewhat Rob Zombie. I know that sounds weird, but you know how zombie is the king of making you squirm simply with his dialogue, this movie gives you the same effect.
If you have a brave girlfriend this might be the one to watch with her. But again I am bias Naomi Watts is my 3rd cousin.
A really challenging movie. It intentionally goes against horror cliches and makes the viewer very uncomfortable throughout. The direction is incredible, simply due to the fact that it never spells anything out for the viewer. We are made to think and imagine certain things for ourselves, which is pretty rare lately.
I also loved how one of the villians occasionally breaks the 4th wall and talks, or just looks, directly at the camera. Almost as if he’s saying “Well you paid to see horrible things happen to regular people, what’d you expect?”. Almost as if he’s criticising us for being entertained by watching these people be tortured endlessly.
The torture really is more psycological than physical, and this works on an entirely different level than average horror. Something in the way the 2 villians interact really made me uneasy, and as confused as the family members they are attacking.
The acting is also phenomenal, Naomi Watts might get some shit occasionally, (after The Birds she’ll no doubt be referred to as ‘the remake chick’) but she does a great job here, as does the entire cast. I usually can’t stand Michael Pitt, dunno why, he just seems like a cracked out Leonardo DiCaprio, but this role fits him perfectly. Same goes for his half retarded counterpart. Of course Tim Roth is great, though his American accent was unnecessary and kinda forced at times. Even the kid is great, all he really had to do was look scared, but he nailed it. It’s one of those movies that’s so engrossing you start to forget you’ve seen most of these actors 100 before in other movies.
I’m still trying to decode whatever message this film’s trying to send, but hey, I’m still thinking about it all through the next day, so that pretty much seals it as a great, thought provoking film.
Even though I hear this is a shot-for-shot remake of the original I’m still gonna find my way around to see it. This director knows his shit.
i had really high hopes for this movie. it is intresting but i think its just not good enough. no score, no blood and very weird. come on naomi is a gfood actress why put her in this? she looked stupid. she was blowdrying a cell phone on one part. the camera also stayed in one spot for like 5 minutes one time. this movie is a letdown. glad i rented it and didnt buy it.
Interesting movie, funny, dragged a bit at times.
Movies rarely reach the originality of lesser-known video games like Killer 7 (PS2) and No More Heroes (Wii). Kill Bill, for example, was an okay movie, but it looks lame and raped of everything that made it intelligent or original compared to Killer 7. Funny Games gives me the same vibe. It’s good for a movie, but compared to No More Heroes (which uses similar plotting and storytelling devices, but 100x more effectively with insanely more action), it is nothing even slightly special. I think that is why I can’t give this movie a perfect rating, even though I’m very tempted to.
The other main problem I had was it had literally no action or scares. There were a lot of points where I was so bored I was about to turn it off. But maybe that was the point. Best line in the movie: “Would you like this to end now, or be more typical with an ending with some plot devilment?” So maybe boring was what the director was going for.
After hearing people say stuff like, “This is the most disturbing movie ever made!” I was very disappointed with the level of actually disturbing scenes. *SPOILERS* They kill a kid and a dog.*END SPOILERS* Sorry, but compared to a man getting his head shot out as he holds the severed head of his daughter (from Killer 7, as I referenced before), Funny Games just looks cute, not disturbing. I don’t understand why children are put on such a high pedestal and the second they get killed off in a movie it’s automatically “unfair” or “not playing by the rules”. So don’t expect this to be as disturbing as the critics are saying because it simply isn’t.
Overall, a very good movie but far from perfect. It fails to deliver the things like originality and disturbment (yes, I made that word up) that it’s tagged with. But like everything else that’s the critics fault more than the director’s. Very much worth watching.
The 97 original is a masterpiece. This is the same exact movie with a different but great cast so it’s still a masterpiece.
No Hollywood shit here. Bravo Haneke for this really smart and vicious movie.
almost what I was expecting in a horror movie and I like the music.
i was expecting a lot more from this movie. i was majorly disappointed. i thought it would be more like actual torture like the synopsis made me think. i think this movie could have been a LOT better but it wasnt like horrible. what could have made it better was if they didnt kill the dog. that just completely ruined the movie for me. i can take people getting killed but not animals.
fist off I do not like torture movies and this was not one of them.
This movie can not get more than a 1 out of 9. It wasn’t that bad…up until the remote. They screwed this movie up. Would have been much better if they were just kids who killed for no reason. But the point of this movie was just lost.
A perfect thriller, truly.
Having seen the original and the remake I actually get the point of the movie. An artistic and experimental attempt meant to examine the portrayal of violence in movies and the media. We are subjected to an alternate reality in which the main killer is aware that this is a movie and ask the audience to bet on the outcome (the remake seems to leave some of these parts out). However i’m a fan of movies and want to be entertained..not lectured..and not bored which is what Funny Games is. It’s unpleasant,it’s disturbing,but it’s also boring..so the message doesnt seem to get across.
I loved the original film and the remake was just as good. I felt though the story has been over done. With so many films being made just like this one it’s hard to see the originality in it. With The Strangers, Dead Calm, Storm Worning and so many like them a movie like FUNNY GAMES can easily slip between the cracks of human explotation films. The ending to both the FUNNY GAMES movies left me feeling that I just didn’t get it, why put us through that to end the movies the way they ended??? I so tired of these type of films and I can’t wait till hollywood gets over this style of film.
I thought this movie was very slow in parts and abit boring..never saw the original. Probably won’t after watching this..I’m not saying it was bad just that it wasn’t very interesting to me..
half way though I was looking for something else to do..I also bought the movie without seeing it and am alittle pissed that I hadn’t picked up a different movie instead..:(
Only problem I had with this flick, is the whole rewinding thing..
it didnt do anything for me
This was a very good movie. Near perfect, I would say… until the whole ‘rewinding’ thing. At that point, it almost seemed like this was a cartoon of the Tom and Jerry sort, or something. It just got far too ridiculous. However, it gets bonus points for the incredibly depressing ending. I really enjoy those.
What — the fuck — was with the remote… soo stupid. I liked it until then, pissed I bought this.
This was the biggest time waster. It did nothing for me expect bore me. The remote scene was garbage. I guess it was suppose to be like a 2 end deal. If you wanted the dude to die then you got that. IDK. All I can say was this movie sucked.
A perfect thriller, truly.
This remake of the 1997 movie of the same name is an exact frame for frame remake with only a new cast and english dialogue. Being someone who watched the original, I was curious to see if this movie was worth watching. It was well worth it but it has an aquired taste to it.
It is not a movie you will understand if you only watch it one time. This movie is great from the carefree attitude of the kids to the way they toyed with the family emotionally, One thing that caught my attention was the way they did not show the violence happening and did it tastefully.
I am giving this movie a 9/10 because not everyone will get into this movie, but those who do will understand what the director is trying to get at.
strange movie, very different villians than im used to, which is a good thing, there was one part in the movie i didnt understand, the whole rewinding thing and naomi watts not getting the shotgun in time, i dont understand that part, if anybody can explain that to me, im very curious.
the movie is based basically on suspense and terror, without alot of gore, but some here and there, kept my interest, but overall it fell a little short overall, as to where the strangers was better at achieving simple suspsense and intensity.
Vague at best, painfully slow at worst.
Having never seen Haneke’s original film, I rushed out to the opening screening along with another horror buff to view what was widely touted to be the hottest film of the season. However, our reactions rapidly shifted from bewildered, to frustrated, before settling on disappointed.
Ok, I get it; nihilism rules and the horror movie viewer is some type of culpable voyeur. This concept is neither new nor particularly well done in this film. Numerous scenes are so ridiculously slow and drawn out (Watts attempting to stand whilst tied at hand and foot) and appear to serve no purpose nor build any suspense.
Perhaps the only redeeming feature in the film was the villains creepy dialogue, switching names, inventing pasts, stirring each other etc. This, coupled by Watts’ and Roth’s portrayal of otherwise unendearing characters earned this film a lousy 3/10 from this disappointed viewer.
I agree with the masses; the ‘rewind’ was unforgivable and was the final nail in the coffin for this film.
loved it
I loved this film. Brectian Breaks are used correctly and effectively. The rewind scene has significance although mostly everybody hates it or dont get it. The closing shot with Michael Pitt staring into the camera is terrifying.
This film can be very slow at times, but it’s like pulling a band-aid off slowly; it just makes it that much more painful. It was pretty good, even though after it was over I felt like I needed a shower… it has that effect. Quite disturbing.
Funny Games is brilliant. It’s an acheivement in horror that is an uncomfortable, unforgiving, and devilishly charming thriller. We have movies like “Saw” and “Hostel” which are constantly upping the ante with each entry. Let’s see how elaborate we can make this kill. Let’s see how many people we can make squirm. It’s all done in a very viseral and increasingly cheap way. Funny Games makes your squirm but in a differnt way. At the route of horror is psychological terror and that’s where Games strikes. It doesn’t show you the violence, in fact, most of the violence is shown off screen. The horror here comes from the cast. We aren’t watching random people being killed in gruesome ways for our enjoyment. No, we’re watching a family being tortured through psychological mindgames. As for the infamous “Remote Scene” I loved it. I may be alone here, but I have good reason to enjoy the scene. Just like Funny Games plays mind games on the characters it also plays mind games on you. This is a bleak film. It’s an unforgiving journey in which we are guided by two psychopaths in white shorts.
Paul: What do you think? Think they stand a chance?
I liked it. And I didn’t hate the rewind scene. It couldn’t end the way it did, and the rewind fixed that. From the first shotgun blast, to the boat scene, it made me uncomfortable, and isn’t that what “horror” movies do?
I hated this movie!
One of the most disturbing movies I have ever seen. The film reminded me of “The Strangers” because it was about a group of people that go into a house and terrorize a family for no apparent reason. The film is brilliant in the way that it toys with your mind. There are little to no “jump” scenes but you are constantly terrified for what is going to happen to this family.
This is a great movie but it is definetly not for the faint of heart. The fact that “Saw” is a lighter movie really says something.
What makes Funny games original and anti-Saw is because Funny game’s violence is so disturbing and so intense that instead of Saw fans applauding for the next gory scene they will instead say turn off the T.V. this is too disturbing. And also all the violence is OFF screen yet the movie is still brutal. Overall Funny games accomplishes everything it was suppose to do. I highly recommend it to everyone.
I can’t believe any horror fan would enjoy this slap in the face. Michael Haneke basically calls us sick and disturbed for enjoying horror films. I wish we never even covered this crap.
right, repo the genetic opera and seed of chucky are good but Haneke’s Funny Games is bad…
You’re completely out of your mind. The use of off screen violence in this movie is incredible. The acting (especially the original) is flawless and the story is great. Whatever qualms you have with it’s message of media’s influence on violence or Haneke’s view of violence in film is besides the point. This is a great film. Pay more attention to writing code for the site and playing with you Chucky dolls and let Tex Massacre do the reviews. You’re awful Mr. Disgusting.
I wanted to rate this lower, but the lowest number on the drop down list was a 2.
This movie is so shallow, so vapid and empty, it’s hard to believe a director would wate his time making it.
And as a viewer I felt cheated for wasting my time watching it.
If you only showed the scenes with anything interesting happening in them,
this film would be about 15-20 minutes long. The characters are so
flat, so unlikeable, you never care what happens to them.
The breaks from reality add nothing to the film, except to annoy
the viewer. And that’s the thing, as a viewer, I felt completely uninvolved with what was happening on the screen.
When it was over, I felt nothing but gratitude that this wretched waste of time had ended.
A pleasant change from the over-the-top gore fests like the Saw franchise where after the 2nd viewing there are quite a few ways out of the traps. we are taken on a nice pleasant weekend away with a young family. Until the neighbors “friends” turn up. Then it’s a downhill slope into tension, drama and some simple yet cruel situations. The way Pitt continually talks to the audience and mocks them by replaying a particularly violent scene is un-nerving and charming. Much like “Requiem for a Dream” this movie stays with you after the end.
I had high hopes for this movie. But it was not clever. It was not scary. The acting was great, I won’t lie. But this movie went nowhere. And I applauded when the man was shot towards the end, but as quickly as I enjoyed it, it was quickly taken away. It put me in a horrible mood, but it’s taught me never to give eggs to people.
If you’re ashamed of your love for horror movies, if it bothers you to admit that a slasher flick would be no fun without the slashing, if you enjoy cinematic violence but believe it is therefore your fault that spoilt brat rich kids go out thrill-killing, then this film will probably make you hate yourself more than you already do. On the other hand, if you’re like most people and understand that while art may imitate life, imitation is not reality, you’re liable to find it offensive. And not, I suspect, in the way the film-maker intended.
Watching Funny Games is like being harangued by a strident, wildly hypocritical Media Studies teacher with a terrible grasp of his subject. Insulting the audience’s intelligence at every turn, director Michael Haneke crassly assumes things about us that he cannot possibly know, and patently misapprehends the relationship between the viewer and what is being viewed. Taking a simplistic view of the correlation between real world and artistic violence, he tries to blame cinema goers for both. All of which I would be more than willing to forgive him for if the resulting film was interesting to watch. But it isn’t. Deliberately ugly, and about as profound as a lump of concrete, Funny Games is deeply tedious. I hate not seeing films through to the end – who knows what hidden gems may lurk in the final reel, or how they may affect the perspective you have on the movie as a whole? But half way though this the urge to turn it off was almost over-powering – not because I couldn’t take the horrors on offer, but simply because I was in danger of falling asleep.
I am genuinely amazed that this cobblers has got so many people fooled. If you think life’s too short to be lectured at by people who hold you in contempt, you’re strongly advised to avoid it.
Great movie but I prefer the original version. Such a twisted head fuck of a movie and nice refreshing change from all the blood/gore torture porn that’s around . This film actually makes you THINK and if you don’t like it then your obviously missing the point.
It’s after midnight (close to 1:00, actually), still awake, so what is there to possibly do? How about go to OnDemand and watch the remake of Funny Games? After I saw this film, my initial reaction was that I had gotten so exited to see this film, I finally get the oppurtunity to see it, and I am comletely disappointed. But, weeks after watching it, it starts to really get under my skin and I feel that I was completely satisfied. Now I wish I could watch it again and ask myself how I could think this film was awful. In fact, that is kinda what I like about this film. It took a while for it to affect me, but when it did, I loved it. This film was awesome and i would give to see it again.
One of the better movies I’ve ever seen. the acting by the two culprits is incredible. i have to say that, much as BD said about THE LAST BROADCAST, if you don’t like this movie, you just don’t get it.
When I first saw the preview to this movie I was excited to see it. But when it came out on DVD I rented It and watched it. When it was over i thought to my self, This is the worst horror movie i have ever seen. There was no music in the movie but the acting was OK. There were some scenes that were boring such as there will be 5 minutes of no talking, there just sitting there, doing nothing. I can’t they made the fuc?ing movie. It was horrible, do youself a favor and don’t buy or rent this movie.
I’m really surprised that you guys like it so much when it’s basically a slap in our face. Once I saw the rewind scene, I really considered turning it off. Great acting, and whatever the music was at the beginning and the end was really great as far as an appropriate tone for the movie. But this movie’s sort of offensive and I won’t ever get over that rewind scene.
I found this movie to be a lil disturbing and quite enjoyable
It seems surprising that so many people really eenjoyed this movie. The movie, at best, was decent. If Naomi Watts had not been casted it would have been a disaster. The acting from all of the cast is what made the movie watchable because you truly beleived what they were feeling. However the movie didn’t have a good flow or really make me belive that the events were believeable. I have to say the most disappointing scence was when Naomi’s character Anna finally gets some revenge and shoots the guy in the chest with the shotgun. Then out of nowhere the other guy grabs a remote and rewinds time!! I mean come one, at that point I felt like I was watching a bad remake of the movie “click.” The whole time your watching the movie you want either Anna or little georgie to start fighting back but they never do. I appreciated the way the director never really showed any of the slashing or killings on screen it was different, but if your not going to give us some blood and gore then you better give an awesome story line and indepth characters, this movie lacked all of the above.
Classy. By looking at the trailer you know it’s gonna be a classy film, and what the film does is not scare or feel insecure, but just gives you a little fun ride. The film starts off with horror/comedy credit’s, but it then becomes quite obvious it’s no comedy. The directing was really well done with many scenes going for 10 minutes without a switch of camera view. One scene wen’t for 12 minutes of Naomi Watt’s just lying on the ground, which was a pain in the arse, but thats what you have to expect. Naomi Watts ends up killing one of the tormenters but then the other somehow uses a remote to rewind the movie and stop her. That made the movie so bullshit and pointless and unenjoyable. The two tormentors kept looking at the camera as if we were there, and the second half just wasn’t as good as the first half of it.
The plot was very good, except for the rwinding which is impossible. A rich classy family tormented, all because of some eggs.
The acting was very fine with Naomi Watts taking the cake. I imagine it would be so hard to do the role, and she was so excellent she deserves an award. Tim Roth was the nt really at his best, but he was believable.
Overall “Funny Games” is ok, but with one stupid scene the movie is dragged down. My rating is 2.5/5
Great film, it serves as a brilliant social commentary. It’s also really intense and unsettling at parts. I personally think it’s better than the origianl Funny Games from 1997, only because the two young men seem way more realistic and frightening.
An incredible movie with much style. This movie looms over many movies shown these days due to the excellent acting, nonstop suspense, and odd intruders. This movie actually makes you feel incredibly sympathetic twoard the characters, something few movies can do in the horror genre. Although this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I asure you that this movie will leave a lasting impression from start to finish.
Maybe it was because I watched it right after Hard Candy, maybe it wasn’t; this movie sucks. I’m a big fan of Tim Roth, here he is totally wasted. Naomi Watts was good, but the situation and characters are hardly convincing. Everything felt really gimicky and I can’t say I was impressed at anything besides some of the acting. I also agree with the people decrying the message of the film…I mean, I get it but…it don’t apply to me at all.
I love the arogans and style of the two young men. I really enjoyed watching this.
it was cool.
I can’t even begin to describe why I loathed this overly-long, drawn out, boring, downright cruel pretentious and preachy film… Actually I think I just summed it up pretty nicely.
Really? Rewinding the movie? You’ve got to be kidding me.
wow.
what can i say about this movie
it was absolutely terrible.
it was hard to watch.
i never even finished watching it cause it was so bad.
This movie is awesome! Very Very cool. One of my fav. horror movies.
One of the worst films I have ever seen. Kept wondering if it would ever get better, but it never did. Stay away if you value your time.
Good believable performances and a nice set up but it was COMPLETELY POINTLESS IN THE END! IT PISSED ME OFF!
This movie was great! The director is right, we should be disgusted by violence. Why should “Saving Private Ryan” be respected for its depiction of violence in war, but this film be blasted for its depiction of criminal violence. The rewind scene I think is the director’s way of teasing us with a typical hollywood third act, then saying that this is not that kind of movie. I just watched this last week and I just wish I saw it earlier, Great movie!
This movie here wasnt bad at all, But it did had its down falls. For example where i here people complaining everywhere, Rewinding the movie scene. Yeah it was pretty unnecessary and laughable but the rest was Smart, Intense, Disturbing and of course “Funny” XD I loved Naomi watts Acting and the Pyscho’s Michael pitt and Brady corbet. And the music of none other then Naked city!!
9/10
I liked this film up to the remote. From then on, the movie was absolutely terrible.
My sister and I were completely pissed off that we made such an effort to rent it.
i liked it. the film kind of felt like an Arthouse version of Hostel. I thought Michael Hanekes direction of the film was incredible i am a huge fan of directors that have the balls to just hold a shot and let the action just unfold, and there a couple of scenes in the film which do this. i thought the acting was just out of this world nobody in the film could be faulted, i thought the film on the whole though was amazing, really made you think and feel uneasy all the way through.
jsut fucking crap . trash movie
I watched this for free it was still awful…..this is about real people? well ok now Georgie was able to run but he ended up being caught then the mother was able to run she got caught wtf???…..this movie was too long and theses scenes was way to long for me I am glad I fast foward this movie I couldn’t take it anymore. I am not sure why it got a good review by BD, sometimes I think they are giving too much credit to the director then they should. I wouldn’t even rent it unless you like long drawen type of movies. Also Strangers was like this also but at lease one person got to live.
This is a really special horror film, the directing is just genius and reminded me of a sort of Tarantino style work. It really got under my skin and left me a bit disturbed. The acting was top notch and the whole film is just really enjoyable! It’s a fantastic experince so come on and watch it! My only complaint would be that one scene in particular really dragged on a bit!
Oh yes and the remote scene. A lot of you have been complaining but I think it was what Naomi was planning to do and what she was hping what would happen. You shouldn’t take the scene to literal otherwise it will ruin the film for you.
This movie killed me, destroyed me , disintegrated me , depressed me and left me a crumpled piece of mess – DON’t watch it and its a compliment unless you want ur whole feel-good belief system for horror movies die– Its the American English “Martyrs” as the effect it has on us, after watching is unforgettable – IT GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN AND STAYS WITH U – COMPLETELY TRULY TOTALLY AMAZING. I love you NAOMI – U were incredible!!!
This movie was complete shit. I dont understand how they could over power these little shit. Each scene was frustrating. I have a hard time believing this could happen. If it did your a retard.
I prefer the original but this is a good movie.
Haneke is a great director.
i loved this movie. even though they never show a lot of gore or killing scenes it remains one of the most disturbing movies ive seen. throughout the movie the killers remain to keep a sort or innocent glow that they’re just using to be more sinister. this movie stuch with me and was so depressing and deeply disturbing. i loved it. one of my favorites.
This movie was Fucking great! I had been wanting to see if for the longest time, and finally got my hands on it. What a way to play a game with someones life. Im all for a new direction in “home intrusion” type movies (when done right, not like the strangers). It was disturbing, and nice to see a horror movie with less blood and gore. It goes to show that horror is not a genre of blood, but a genre of shock; and as long as shock is portrayed then the film can work. Loved it!
This movie was sick and disturbing,but it was boring too.
great movie.
This was a horrible movie, I hate this movie.
Boring ass movie, and the guys were so creepy too watch.
This movie was too unrealistic, which made it even worse.
I found it to be worthless and frustrating. I have no problem with an innocent family getting brutalized but this movie was shit.
What a steaming pile of shit, just the thought of letting 2 punk ass fagets take you hostage in your own home pisses me off. In real life those 2 lames would be dealt with in 2 minutes. I would have gave it a chance until the part when he rewinds fuckin time with a remote, that killed the movie for me. Complete waste of film.
If the remote control scene bothered you or you didn’t get it, then you missed the point of the whole movie. Your fault.
this movie was very good but yes guttersnipesurf i didnt get the remote control part dont rub it in i feel stupid.
Did the majority of you even understand the message that the director was trying to convey?! I really liked the movie but I also understood why it was the way it was. If I just watched it without knowing anything I most likely would have hated it.
The smarmy evildoers are not a good sell at all in this sleeve blurbed “Terrifying” and “Profoundly disturbing” movie (disturbingly lame!). Long, drawn-out scenes of smartass talk, mindgames, and limping around make up the most of this, and each are uninvolving and senseless—but begging for the viewer to be creeped out–bah. Boring and unmoving for what the content should unveil. What a waste of talent here.
This movie was a complete waste of time.
Not only did the camera angle only change every 5 minutes, but the pauses, the silence, and the acting were all a recipe for disaster.
This is one of the worst horror movies ever made.
So Pee Wee Herman and his frail, gay buddy walk into a house…
Sounds like a bad joke right? Well it makes a worse movie, at least the joke will be over in about 30 seconds. Well this bad joke just leaves you waiting…and waiting…and waiting for a punch line that is never delivered.
Better acting will only go as far as script allows and this irrelevant re-make does nothing to better it’s predecessor. FUNNY GAMES fails to capitalize on what could’ve been an ultimate achievement. The possibilities are practically endless to apply to the scenario laid out before us. Both sides could’ve played “funny games” as “Beavis” was obviously unstable and gullible. He could’ve been easily deceived and played against his partner. Even more shocking would’ve been for the child or mother to go into survival mode and stoop to the level the killers were on. It is a fact that the most exciting games often go back and forth right? This would’ve definitely raised it to legendary status as one of the ultimate revenge films of our time.
Instead were forced subjected to watch a family of pathetic victims be brutalized by two wet behind the ears, smarmy little asswipes who are full of one-liners and no testosterone. Oh, and “Where’s the goddamn remote”? Yeah I get it, and it pulls me directly out of the tiny fragment of realism the story had. Epic Failure.
THIS MOVIE IS SLOOOOOW, BUT!!! beyond brilliant. Tim Roth and Naomi Watts ( I love Tim thats why I put him first) is fucking amazing at portraying the horror of being over powered by an inhuman force. Try to tell me how these boys are not monsters with no human soul, its punishing, it makes you uneasy beyond belief and it didn’t help that the shots were soo dedicated at making you feel confined. It was soo very slow and dreary but if you arn’t here for cheap thrills and want some hardcore in talented horror along the lines of pacing to cause emotinol response and an excellent cast and won’t resort to BITCHING LIKE AN UNEDUCATED LITTLE CUNNY WAFT LIKE MOST OF HORROR NOW DAYS!!! YOU LITTLE SHITS NEED TO LEARN THAT THERE ARE GOOD MOVIES, FUN MOVIES, AND GREAT MOVIES!!!
fun can be stupid and immature and poorly made, I love Transformers 1 (fuck 2) for instance…
Good is a movie that accomplishes what it set out to do, Halloween for instance, its not the best written piece and it wont win an Oscar but it wasn’t trying and should not be scaled to something that was trying for something different.
Great movies use the medium like an art form, where shots are designed to work with the plot, where all the elements are being used to create some message are show something. This is that movie it doesn’t mean its fun, entertaining (I liked it though), or pleasant, or meaningful to you, but it should be respected.
I liked it, respect it and STOP BEING JERK OFFS YOU FUCKTARD MOTHER RAPING BUSH-LEVEL INTELLECT FUCKS!!! it deserves a better score despite you being bored, try watching Ronin and tell me why you thought it was boring till the car chase scene so I can kill you…
Avergae film.
Ups: Simple plot, easily understood. Leave your brain at the entrance.
The two men were genuinely creepy, and their ignorance, particularly towards the end, made you hate them even more. Which is a desirable quality in a horror.
The film proves how you can be terrified without much graphic content.
Downs: No new ideas – shot for shot remake of the original.
Could’ve had more action – I’m not saying more violence or the like, but more entertainment – it was verging on being boring in places.
5/10
The concept of this movie is a great one, yet it wasn’t used to it’s fullest. The characters were sadistic and had so much personality (one thing I love), but how everything played out was sort of dull. This movie could have been great if the right scenes were used. I am still confused to this day (having seen this movie 2 years ago) about why would they ever need to put the scene in with the remote control. None-the-less, it wasn’t an awful film, but didn’t live up to it’s potential.
A true horror movie. You can watch this without any of the trappings of a genre specific horror film. I believe you will be mortified.
The user reviews are way low on this film which makes me wonder if this site is peopled with simpletons. Did you actually watch the entire movie or did your ADHD get the best of you?
This “Funny Games” is a remake by Michael Haneke of his own, previous, effort. Haneke is something of a provocateur. You would do well to seek out more of his movies.
Michael Pitt should have been nominated for an Academy Award. He is absolutely stunning in his portrayal of a young sadist.
Excellent acting all around with the exception of Tim Roth, who sleepwalks through his performance. He’s done much better work.
The film’s main score is “Bonehead” by Naked City. That should tell you something about what you’re in for.
My highest recommendation and “Could I borrow an egg?”.
*spoilers* This Movie Had Something Important To Say, And It Tried Very Hard To Say It.
But Failed To Get The Message Across Breaking The Fourth Wall Even To Try And Deliver The Message, Which Half Way Through The Movie I Thought Was Pretty Creepy And Genius, Until The Scene Where They Actually Rewind The Film, It Then Became A Parody Of Horror Films, And In No Way Was It An Intellectual Parody, It Was More Akin To Scary Movie But Not The First One.
That Scene In Particular As I Understand It, Was To Invoke The Cheers That The Audience Often Burst In To,and Have It Taken Away, As If To Say “for Shame For Cheering On This Violence”, Regardless Of Who Was Performing The Act. I Have No Problem With A Movie That Has A Message, And I Have No Problem With A Movie That Just Wants To Be Fun.
The Villains Them Selves Were Not Threatening When It Came Time For The “games” Part Of The Movie, They Were Certainly Creepy At The First Half, Awkward And Nervous, Trying To Be Polite While Breaking The Fathers Leg After They Had Been Asked Several Times To Leave. (And Come To Think Of It This Movie Would Have Made A Better Message About Having Manners Then It’s Intended Message)the Actors Were Wonderful, The Way The Scenes Were Shot Were Awkwardly Long Which Gave It A Great Sense Of Tension, No Cut Aways, And Pretty Much Showing Everything And Sometimes Nothing But Sounds. However It Did Suffer From A Rather Bad Cut That Led To My Family Scratching Their Heads About How That Scene Actually Played Out, And For A Movie Sometimes Called “art” The Scenes Should Have Been Handled With Greater Care, Considering This Was A Film That Was A Shot For Shot Remake Of A 1997 Film. But That Was A Problem That Was Few And Far Between It’s Biggest Flaws.
Which Laid With The Characters But Certainly Not The Actors. Several Times The Family Had Access To Weapons With Out The Watchful Eyes Of Their Captors, And You Can’t Give The Excuse That The Only One Able To Get The Knife That Was Easily Obtainable (In The Kitchen Across The Hall) Or Another Golf Club Like The One The Villains Had Through Out Most Of The Movie (And That’s All The Had Till The Family Them Selves Practically Brought Them The Weapons Through Sheer Ignorance) Was Ann, Who May Not Have Been Strong Enough. Until You Later See Her Dragging Her Husband In A Chair Several Feet Who Is Mostly Dead Weight By This Point. The Husband Tried Several Times To Struggle With Them And Did So Successfully If The Wife Had A Weapon Hidden With Her, Things Would Have Ended Quite Fast. But Of Course The Director Wasn’t Trying To Give Opportunities For Them To Escape Because When Ann Finally Takes Her Chance Paul Rewinds The Movie. But It’s Quite Silly That So Little Thought Was Given To Their Need For Survival When Trying To Create A Suspenseful Movie, And How Little The Villains Actually Thought Things Out. Which I Rather Liked That They Were Just Kind Of Work On The Fly Kind Of Guys But Since They Were So Ill organised It Just Made It Seem Less Threatening, If Not For The Rewind Button Those Guys Would Have Been Gone Soon As They Let Ann Walk Out Of The Room, Or Ask Her To Make Them Something To Eat (Thankfully She Did Not)
I Also Enjoyed The Breaking Of The 4′th Wall, Had Paul Not Rewound The Movie I Would Have Thought Of It As Some Kind Of Creepy Psychosis.
I Did Enjoy The Intro Quite A Lot, The Classical Music That The Family Is Listening To Is Suddenly Over Taken By A Very Loud Crazy And Frenetic Song,(No I Did Not Like The Song, I Simply Liked It’s Place In The Movie, Showing That I Do Have An Open Mind, And Am Not A Misinformed Sheep) Sadly That Was The Only Time My Family And I Jumped Because We Have A Surround Sound System. True The Movie Wasn’t Really A Horror Film To Scare You, Because It Had A Message To Deliver, It Butchered That, Because It Condemned People For Wanting The Family To Gain The Upper Hand, Is It Wrong For People To Hope That Good People Will Survive? There Is Crazy People In This World, They Do Things Similar To This Every Day, Isn’t It Silly For The Movie To Condemn Violence In The Media And Movies But Condemn You To Hope Good People Will Survive? Should You Have Wanted Paul And Peter To Survive? Or The Family? And Yeah It Wasn’t Just Condemning You For That Hope, But For Watching That Movie Altogether Just Because Of It’s Synopsis. Sadly That’s Where It Lost It’s Message, Movies Can Be A Cathartic Medium, So While The World Has Been In Disarray And Violence For Years Even Before Films, At Least You Can Watch Something Horrific In A Fictional World Turn In To Something Hopeful, And It’s A Shame That Someone Has To Say Bad Audience For Trying To Have Some Sort Of Good In This World.
If In The Movie Paul And Peter Had Tortured One Family For 9 Hours Before, Then The Main Family And Will Again Do So With Another Family One After Another, When Do They Sleep? But Giving Thought To This Question Would Be Giving More Thought To This Movie Then The Director Did.
* some may find spoilers*
It had me hooked until the kid started deliberately engaging the audience and the Rewind on the remote because it took away all the mystery about who would win.
this movie is for people who are a fan of films, not just death scenes and constant action. Stay away from this movie if your afraid of dialogue and DEMAND angle changes every 4 seconds.
Out of principle, I should have reviewed the original before this one, but I didn’t.
All I can remember about the original, is the plot of a couple who are terrorised and held hostage in their own cabin.
Most people don’t approve of remakes blaming them as quick cash ins, and unimaginative mainstream cinema. Well… sorry to say so, but that’s exploitation.
Tim Roth proves himself as a fine actor in this one as a coward husband, that should have listened to his wife.
The plot is simple: An aristocratic couple and their son are held hostage in the complex of their own summer cabin.
Very disturbing at times, thanks to the off screen violence and looooong takes. The mind boggles in this one. The kids tears are so real you can almost taste them.
I couldn’t help being reminded of Ruggero Deodato’s “The House on the Edge of the Park”, and other rape and revenge exploitation flicks. There is no rape in this one, but the viewer is left helpless and feeling violated in my opinion.
The film goes havoc approaching the films climax and plays with our heads, making the whole charade credible and even more disturbing. But that would be telling …
The lighting and photography gives the picture a very clean pristine look. No music score either makes this whole film an emotional roller coaster experience.
By no means a classic, but an oddity of a remake.
Not a date film if you are trying to score.
Not bad at all.
This film provides an excellent cast and an excellent story to remake. Has some scenes that are continuous for 5+ minutes straight, which made this film stand out for me. Not really that scary, but I was impressed. Not as good as I hoped though.
It does a good job of making you hate the “bad guys”, but just when you’re excited about one of the “good guys” fighting back, out pops a remote control and the whole movie goes to hell in a hand basket.
‘Funny Games US’ (Remake) is a very bizarre and strange film, it has great acting from all cast members and makes you think what you would do in that saturation that this family are in??.
The Movie is ok not my favourite, but very decent weirdo/creepy film (as this will not be for everyone’s eyes), it has very skilful directing from Michael Haneke (Whole also did the Original version) and has some very big shock value in this film, as its one kind of film I’ve never seen or expression before and it plays with the audience’s head’s.
Don’t care what anyone says, I thought this movie was terrific.
It was pulling from “Marat/Sade” so brilliantly, whether it knew it and was doing in intentionally or not. (check it out if you don’t know what “Marat/Sade” is. It’s twised)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060668/
The use of color, sound, and the breaking of the fourth wall was a complete assault on the senses and it left you feeling almost sick at the end, as well and unfufilled in a totally satisfying way.
It was terribly sad, NO HAPPY ENDING, but the acting I thought was great (Naomi Watts in particular) and overall, I thought it was a successful remake and film over all.
I started to see this movie with much expectation and anxiety, I remember thinking, I have not heard much about this movie but the premise seems interesting, and I must admit that at some point it is, however the remote control scene will go into history as one of the worst and most pathetic scenes ever made, maybe it is I who did not understand but that scene ruins from my point of view the whole movie completely. A real cheap shot to the viewer.
I loved how real this was.Theres no glorification of violence in real life.Violence just happens.Mainstrem horror movies are such polished BS.(Bad guy kills people/Protaginst kills bad guy/epilogue/Rinse repat).In real life shit like that doesn’t happen.
The only way this colud be better is if at he end 1 of the villans turned to the camera and said “well?What did you think wolud happen?”
What many people not understand is that this movie is not about watching violence like Saw or Hostel, but about quite the opposite, which is that violence isn’t consumable.
This movie truly shocks. But not because it’s very bloody or perverted. But because it shows how low audiences got to watch movies like A Serbian Film, just to see sick things happen.
Michael Haneke really hit it spot on whit this movie.
It’s clear to me that the boys in this film were not breast fed…or maybe Daddy wasn’t there. What ever the sick issue was, you just want to lay these boys over your knee and give them a good spanking.
I really didn’t enjoy this movie, I get it, I just think there has to be more to a movie than this. I wasn’t engaged, or given any back story, the whole movie I felt the same.. angry and confused.
They are like the Bond villains of the serial killer world, they talk way too much when they should just get to the killing
This is a tough film to watch no doubt, but for very different reasons than films like Hostel and a like. Haneke hits the very core of his audience by showing just how truly unpleasant violence is.
It questions the very morality of horror films and makes you question why you go to watch “consumable” violence.
Interesting film, but I do still enjoy a good horror movie!
I am the only member to have seen Funny Games US, but check out our blog for reviews of the original Austrian version.
Clarky
Deeply disturbing, a movie that had me glued to my televison, wondering what would happen next. I don’t really want to spoil the movie for those who haven’t yet seen it, but there was one part, one simple part in the film that totally ruined the experience for me and left me going “oh come on”. That is the reason for the lower rating. With that said, I’d still tell people to watch the movie, and see if you can spot the part I’m referring to. I’d be interested if others who have watched this felt the same way.
IMMENSELY disliked this movie. It’s not only because I felt cheated by the ending, but I was bored throughout the film. It’s not like I haven’t seen all of this before, but with better execution. Highly overrated film that leaves you feeling cheated and angry.
This review is for the original Funny Games (1997), not the remake.
This delivers an unpleasant family in crisis experience that has a great atmosphere. The script is intelligent and all performances are absolute quality. They made a remake starring Tim Roth which is almost frame by frame the same. Stick with this version because itâe(TM)s original and all round just a better film.
You will be very careful when opening your front door to strangers after watching this film. Iâe(TM)m not saying itâe(TM)s a âe~home security adviceâe(TM) film, but it does give you one of the worst case home invasion scenarios. I love the opening title sequence; it combines a pleasant family drive in the country with classical music playing from the radio and then suddenly, without warning, the most aggressive thrash metal kicks in on the radio which is so out of place from whatâe(TM)s on the screen. Simple, different and effective, just the way I like it.
You have seen all the villains from Hannibal Lecter to Mick Taylor (Wolf Creek). However, this film excels when disturbed characters are played very differently than anything seen before. Pure evil with no feeling comes to mind. There are two great âe~out of filmâe(TM) moments that I wonâe(TM)t talk about. I loved them both.
I find it so frustrating seeing parents being weak and reasonable in a story like this, but itâe(TM)s necessary because if they were portrayed as strong minded people, the film would last no more than 30 minutes max. This is a dialogue heavy film that takes itâe(TM)s time and is absolutely riveting to watch. I have never seen a film like this and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The cruelty is as it needs to be, it could have been a great deal worse. It does not go down the rape route of âe~A Clockwork Orangeâe(TM) or the horrific scene in the original âe~Death Wishâe(TM), however it still manages to give you the feeling of shock and dread.
What is does achieve so well is it gives you the thought that whatever your financial situation, or how big your house is, or how articulate and kind you are, home invasion can happen to anyone…even you. This is a very cruel and disturbing film. Itâe(TM)s an ordeal to get through and watching the long scenes that take their time and are paced in such a correct and creative way, draws you into the mayhem even more. The early scene in the kitchen is cinematic genius, I’m sure the camera doesn’t move for the entire scene. ‘Funny Games’ is a tremendous unsettling experience.
Definitely worth 108 minutes of your life.
The bleedingcritic
bleedingfilms.com
I think people are missing the huge point in what the Remote Control Scene symbolizes. Convenience to the villain to put the victims into a compromising position. The entire movie is a satire of slasher and horror movies. I read in one user review that they would of rather the creepy duo just get right to the killing. That exactly the attitude the movie is making fun of. It doesn’t have a high kill count, but you care for the ones that are being killed and aren’t expendable nobodies written into film scripts specifically to be killed off.
To sum it up, worth a look if you want to watch a super gritty, visceral, suspense filled, movie.
This is a great movie! Truly horrifying film. Funny Games is not entertainment but it is an experience. They way the film is done you feel as if you are there with them. Watching a real home invasion take place. Some of the best acting ever is in this movie. Naomi Watts does an especially amazing job. This movie is not for the weak of heart. But its a great movie!