Come Play (2020)

Greetings horror fans and avid moviegoers.

It has been 7 months since the last time I set foot in a movie theater, as I’m sure is the case for many of you. That is a long time for someone who is used to attending at least twice per month, though I’m sure my waistline thanked me for the significant decline in popcorn consumption. There is something very special about seeing a horror movie in an environment that is designed to immerse you in the story, so when I saw the chilling trailer for Come Play I jumped at the chance to head to our local Cineplex. For the experience — totally not for the popcorn…

First of all, much like Lights Out, this feature was based on a short film that was then expanded into a full-length movie. When I watched the 5-minutes 21-second horror short, I certainly saw the appeal. The sound design alone was cleverly done, building suspense in the right moments. While the creature movement was slightly hokey, the silhouette was very impactful and the timing of the editing also lent a hand to the creep factor.

The film has many positive points, my favorite being young Azhy Robertson, who absolutely nails his performance as Oliver, a child who has autism. This could have been made even better if they had been able to find a young person with autism to play the role. I feel as if this can be forgiven due to the fact that director Jacob Chase’s wife works with children on the spectrum and he wanted to do justice to the story without compensating on realism. I hope it works in their favor towards raising awareness.

The acting as a whole was well done, which in my opinion, is one of the problems with the majority of horror films. If the performance isn’t believable, the immersion stops and I start checking my watch. I can only imagine the struggles of a family that is trying to navigate a world that seems to condemn differences. Gillian Jacobs brought her A-Game as a strong, yet vulnerable lead, showcasing the fierce nature that is the mother-son relationship and the sacrifices we make for our family members to keep them safe.

There are jump scares aplenty and the beautifully simple yet creative shooting style of Maxime Alexandre. Story-wise, there are some plot holes and logic errors that may leave you scratching your head, but in general, the ridiculous ticket prices were worth the hour and a half of entertainment. Besides, I’m sure “logical” is not the typical word viewers would normally associate with supernatural films, although now I’m considering adding it to my next film’s test audience survey.

Overall, a very enjoyable night out. Or, was it…?