‘All Fun And Games’ Review: A Lean, Mean, And Bloody Slasher
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa want to play a game. Actually, they want to play quite a few in their feature film debut All Fun And Games, a demonic-possession-meets-slasher film placed in America’s spookiest town: Salem, Massachusetts. While they’re playing with two subgenres bogged down with well-worn tropes, Celeboglu and Costa manage to craft a lean yet downright nasty film perfect for a horror movie night.
We begin our bloody journey with a chilling cold open on colonial Salem with bodies splayed across the ground and blood pooling in the mud. The culprit? A young boy armed with a knife with a handle made of bone. Celeboglu and Costa quickly set a dread-filled tone, preparing the audience for a violent rollercoaster ride. Flash forward a few centuries and Jo (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) finds that same bone-handled knife and decides to bring it home. Nothing says safety like immediately pocketing a very cursed-looking knife.
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Almost immediately, Jo falls under the thrall of the knife which just so happens to be a vessel for a violent demon who loves to play games. The first part of the film is a terrifying possession film where Ainsworth gives a memorable performance as a possessed teen terrifying his older siblings and their friends. Then, the demon hops to Jo’s older brother Marcus (Asa Butterworth) and this is when the real bloody fun begins.
From here, All Fun And Games really takes off at a breakneck pace with Butterfield chewing the scenery as he executes anyone in his path. While each killed is themed around a popular game (hangman, hide and seek, etc.), the body count is pretty low for a supernatural slasher. Celeboglu and Costa contain the narrative and use the possession part of the story to help build the horror, but slasher fans may find themselves wanting a bit more blood with their cursed Salem knives.
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Speaking of the kill themes, there’s a lot of lore in All Fun And Games. Almost too much for a film of this scope. That’s not to say the backstory of our demon isn’t interesting, but it’s so much to explain in such a contained slasher. Celeboglu and Costa are already stretching their budget with their kills, so again, their goal is admirable. It just falls a bit flat in execution (pun intended).
As previously mentioned, Ainsworth and Butterfield stun as our antagonists. But Natalia Dyer, who plays older sister Billie, and Laural Madsen, who plays Billie’s best friend Sophie, round out a solid ensemble of young actors who sell their chemistry to make the stakes feel more real.
All Fun And Games doesn’t necessarily have the most original narrative, but Celeboglu and Costa work within well-known tropes to experiment with the slasher format. It’s a good, spooky time supported by stellar performances, creepy vibes, and a fun-loving demon with a taste for blood. It may not totally flip the script, but All Fun And Games is still a fun watch, perfect for those Halloween watchlists.
Summary
‘All Fun And Games’ is a good, spooky time supported by stellar performances, creepy vibes, and a fun-loving demon with a taste for blood.
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