31 Days of Halloween Films #4: Funny Games (2007)

 The Lowdown: Two sadistic young men terrorize a family of three trying to enjoy a weekend vacation in the country by asking to borrow some eggs.  Then the film gives its’ audience the metaphorical finger and forces the watcher to stick around and see what happens.

The Breakdown(Spoilers):  The home invasion flick is a staple of the horror/thriller genre, despite its shoddy track record.  For every Wait Until Dark there are a dozen When A Stranger Calls, souring the overall concept.  Funny Games is, admittedly, a derivative of the original Funny Games (1997).  In fact, it is one of the much-maligned shot-for-shot remakes that have been the bane of hollywood since 1998’s Psycho remake, probably going farther back even than that.  The thing that makes Funny Games unique is this remake is made by the same director of the original film.  This would immediately beg the question: why?  Michael Haneke is the type of director that goes against the grain with everything in his professional life, and I have to believe his intent with making an English-language version of this film was to help it reach a broader audience.  While he may not have achieved what he wanted due to the poor box-office reception and seemingly non-existent fan base, I always love watching Funny Games this time of year because of its stellar performances from a young Michael Pitt, Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, as well as its ability to creep you out in very subtle ways.  The cinematography present in this film subliminally makes you uneasy and the filmmaking is of a level of perfection rarely seen in home invasion films.

You have not seen creepy until you have seen Michael Pitt in Funny Games.  Pitt is a great actor, as is evident in his turn from Boardwalk Empire as Jimmy, but here he is absolutely magnetic as the bone-chilling antagonist simply referred to as Paul.  Pitt infuses every piece of his performance with a sociopathic bravura, an almost earnest insanity that toys with the emotions of our main characters.  At first naively likeable, and later on intensely factual, Paul is a real bastard, and one from whom which there is no escape.  His brother/friend/accomplice Peter, also brilliantly played by Brady Corbet, adds a more childlike quality to his role, making an interesting foil to Paul’s cold, calculated, professional demeanor.  Naomi Watts and Tim Roth do well in their respective roles of mom and dad, and their son, played by a young Devon Gearhart, helps move things along and gives the audience someone they can really relate to.

This film is a SLOW burn, however.  You need to give it time to get going in order to enjoy it.  If you do that, the film deconstructs its genre in unique and, some might argue, oddly satisfying ways.  From Paul’s looks to the camera to the physical rewinding of a scene in which the good guys get the upper hand, Haneke has constructed a film that forces its’ viewer to look at themselves and ask “Wait, why am I watching this?/Why do I enjoy this?”.  It is, in my opinion, one of the most intelligent thrillers ever made, delivering the scares as well as philosophical concepts about the human desire to witness violence as well as the average persons’ reaction to it.  This film does not wrap things up neatly and it relishes that idea.

The Comedown: Funny Games is a remake, but it is a remake made with the hopes that more people would see this film and appreciate the ideas it presents to its audience.  Rarely does anything in the horror genre turn the focus onto its’ audience quite like this movie does.  I find this to be a great Halloween film to watch because it keeps me in check.  Yeah, I love seeing zombies get their heads cut off, priest exorcising demons out of little girls and movies about demonic children, but Funny Games is the only one I can think of that asks you, the viewer, to assess whether or not those desires are normal.  Funny Games is heavier than the average Halloween fare, but if you give it a chance and set your expectations for surprise, you should have a fantastic time watching Funny Games.

Note* – I have seen the original film as well and can confirm that both films are essentially shot-for-shot identical.  Personally, I prefer this English-language version but the original is strong as well, so if you’re a fan of one be sure to check out the other.