Funny Games (2007) Review – A Cynical and Brutal Lesson in Nihilism

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at the 2007 remake of Funny Games.

Let the games begin

Funny Games follows couple George (Tim Roth) and Annie (Naomi Watts), and their son Georgie, as they head to their luxury holiday home on the lake. That afternoon, they are visited by a pair of strange young men asking for some supplies. What seems like a simple request eventually turns into a night from hell for the family as the two men reveal their real intentions for the visit.

Funny Games is not a horror movie in the strictest sense of the word, it lacks in the basic story and structure that one would expect. It is more a simple portrayal of sadism. There’s no real story here and you aren’t going to be digging deep into character motivations and backstory. You are going to be spending the majority of your time watching two men absolutely torment three innocent people. If you want to stretch the label, it’s a meta-horror that plays with the well established rules of the genre.

“Funny Games is not a horror movie in the strictest sense of the word. It is more a simple portrayal of sadism. You are going to be spending the majority of your time watching two men absolutely torment three innocent people.”

Indeed, Michael Haneke didn’t intend for Funny Games to be a horror movie at all. He actually created it as a commentary on American, and Western, media and the consumer’s desire for blood and gore. The vast majority of the violence takes place off screen. Haneke doesn’t want to indulge you with the things you want to see. He wants to torture you with the ruthless events that lead up to that. This is horror in the most cynical manner of the word.

Horrendously shocking and completely pointless

It all starts with our antagonists Paul (Michael Pitt) and Peter (Brady Corbet). These two are truly menacing in how ruthless they are. They are here for entertainment and that is, perhaps, one of the most horrific motivations of all. They give a multitude of reasons for their actions but none of them make a lot of sense. It doesn’t matter because they aren’t true. Just like the mindless violence the public so loves, Haneke has given us characters who are equally as mindless. It’s frightening in how simple it is.

It is impossible to reason with someone who just wants to create suffering. That is something that offers Funny Games a very deliberate feeling of hopelessness. Michael Haneke, at numerous points in the movie, likes to build up that hope just a little and then strip it away. He wants to make the viewer another victim of the duo. It’s a very good way of adding to the horror and leaving the viewer feeling both desperate and dejected.

Although Annie and George aren’t a particularly likeable couple, you do feel for them tremendously. The men play with them like cats play with their prey and it is difficult to watch. Again, that repetitive cycle of offering hope before stripping it away takes place over and over again. Even the viewer isn’t safe. In one memorable scene, the pair break the fourth wall to strip away your hope in real-time. It’s a stark reminder that you aren’t in control here and Haneke isn’t going to give you what you want.

“They are here for entertainment and that is, perhaps, one of the most horrific motivations of all. It is impossible to reason with someone who just wants to create suffering.”

Needless to say, the biggest criticism here is the film itself. It is almost entirely pointless. It’s deliberately designed to frustrate, it loves to wag its finger at you for enjoying violence, and the story is non-existent. It’s just an experiment in brutality for the sake of brutality. Loads of people will coming away wondering what the point was and that’s just the thing: there isn’t a point.

A hugely divisive movie

Boy does Funny Games rub some people up the wrong way! There are a few filming techniques that are going to annoy people. Camera work can be a bit unusual at times as well. Michael Haneke had full control over every shot and he really lingers on some of them. Some of these shots can seem pointless and over done but there is usually something there Haneke wants you to notice or realise. It’s a funny movie too and that’s bound to feel at odds with the content. You almost feel guilty for laughing.

The main reason for some people’s disdain, however, as pointed out above, is that Haneke uses Funny Games as a way to wag his finger at the viewer. “Bad!! You are a bad person and you should feel bad!”. Haneke seemingly casts judgement over the viewer, and the public in general, for their obsession with blood, gore, and violence. He wants you to dwell not on the moments of violence themselves but on the result of it. It’s going to piss some people off.

“Funny Games is an excellent movie, but it isn’t for everyone. If you love horror with a dark sense of humour and don’t mind a bit of finger pointing, you should definitely watch it.”

A lot of people prefer the Austrian original version of the movie from 1997, too. It’s worth pointing out that they are both the same, shot for shot, and made by the same person. Just pick the one that has the better cast and go with that. I prefer this version because I am a big fan of Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. Both are stellar here and relate the suffering of the family tremendously well.

Michael Pitt is sensational here. He’s so sinister and joyous in the mayhem he is causing. It’s an unnerving performance that only feels all the more real considering his recent decline and criminal past. This is an amazing cast that deserves a ton of praise.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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