Funny Games is about a family, played by Tim Roth and Naomi Watts, who go to vacation in their summer home with their son. They are wealthy but, of course, have their own problems and anxieties. Two young men wander onto the property (Michael Pitt plays one) and proceed to move from friendly neighbors over for a visit to sociopathic kidnappers out to torture the family. What follows is a tense and frightening afternoon filled with violence and death.
The reason I can't group this movie in with The Strangers, although they follow very similar plot lines, is that there is a moment of rebellion and fighting back. What happens during that moment constitutes a major spoiler but also defines the entire movie as a lecture against the audience wanting to watch such depraved entertainment. It is such a small part of the overall story but it changes the entire movie in a way I have rarely seen. Some might say it is hypocritical, to denounce torture porn movies while being in the middle of one but it worked effectively on me.
This movie is not for everyone and, as with any home invasion film, might have some triggers in the narrative. I personally think it is a smart movie that I never, ever want to watch again.
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