Movie Review: Come Play (2020) .. #ComePlayMovie @FocusFeatures @comeplaymovie @amblin

movies and tvOctober 29, 2020Comments Off on Movie Review: Come Play (2020) .. #ComePlayMovie @FocusFeatures @comeplaymovie @amblin

Movie Review - Come Play - photo courtesy Focus Features

I virtually attended the premier of the new horror movie, Come Play, last night and here is my review of the movie.

In Come Play, a non-verbal autistic boy is terrorized by a monster from another realm via his smartphone and tablet. It’s based on the director/writer Jacob Chase’s short film, “Larry.’

That boy, Oliver (played well by newcomer Azhy Robertson), is living with his parents in an old house, when tensions force the dad to temporarily leave. Oliver is also bullied at school.

Lonely and alone, Oliver is reading a book on his tablet called “Misunderstood Monsters” when he’s contacted by someone called Larry online. Soon he realizes Larry is the same Larry as the monster in the book.

Movie Review - Come Play - photo courtesy Focus Features

Unbeknownst to Oliver, his mom organizes a sleep over with classmates, and they turn out to be the bullies who have been tormenting him. As if that isn’t nightmarish enough, Larry crashes their sleepover and scares the kids.

But the bullies say it’s Oliver who did it, and mom and dad don’t believe him either.

After some unexplained scary incidents, mom starts to realize Oliver is right, and Larry is coming for both of them.

While it seems as first that Come Play is a monster movie – and it is to a point – the movie is really a psychological thriller about the lengths a mother will go to keep her child safe.

Movie Review - Come Play - photo courtesy Focus Features

Come Play never really gets too scary…it’s creepy at best…but it does utilize some jump scares well, as well as the common fear of the dark. There’s no gore and very little physical violence, and the ending is actually bittersweet.

The problem with the film, for me, is that in trying to create this scary story, it comes off a bit predictable, and details fall into place a little too neatly. Some of the dark scenes were also too dark, and I couldn’t see what was happening.

If you can overlook that, Come Play is a good horror film for people who aren’t huge horror fans, and don’t need gore or violence to enjoy a film.

I’m giving Come Play a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It hits theaters October 30, 2020.

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COME PLAY

Director: Jacob Chase
Cast: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Winslow Fegley
Rating: PG-13 (For Terror|Some Language|Frightening Images)
Website:: focusfeatures.com/come-play

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!

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