The last Rachel McAdams movie I saw was Mean Girls in 2004, so I was curious about her screen presence as an adult character. I was impressed! In this film, she plays Annie Davis, a suburban newlywed who is just as addicted to game nights as her husband, Max (Jason Bateman). They often get together with friends, but the action ramps up when Max’s shady, uber-competitive brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) rents an expensive home nearby and brings trouble with him. He sets up a frenzied murder-mystery evening of bad guys, FBI agents, fights, car chases and more, but it’s hard to tell what is real and what has been staged by Brooks.
Annie is pretty badass, which is fun to watch. She does some impressive defensive driving, takes out attackers with a fire extinguisher and stitches up Max’s arm in an alley after accidentally shooting him. Other female characters are interesting, too. The couple’s friend Ryan (Billy Magnussen) usually brings dates who aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, but on the big night at Brooks’ house, his companion is Sarah (Sharon Horgan), a smart Irish woman who jumps into the craziness with both feet. There’s also a clever plot twist involving the couple’s creepy next-door neighbor, Gary (Jesse Plemons). All in all, the film is good for an adrenaline rush.
SHOULD YOU SEE IT? Yes, it’s funny and has some exciting action scenes. —J.J.
Viewed at AMC Esquire 7