Come Play - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Come Play

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras: :
Final Score:


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Movie
The digital world has become a babysitter for our children for many years, but in the 21st century it seems to really have come to a head. I can’t walk down the street or go into my relatives houses without noticing that everyone has a screen glued to their hands or eyes. 8 year olds have their own I-pads, and the TV is on 24/7 (yeah, I know, coming from a movie nerd I sense some of my own guilt over this) and we’ve all been guilty of turning on Sponge bob as a virtual babysitter while we get stuff done around the house. So why not craft a horror movie dealing with that? Originally starting as a short film that traveled the film festivals, Come Play was crafted when writer/director Jacob Chase adapted said short film idea into a feature film, and while not everything in the film work, the message behind it is disturbingly creepy. Especially to parents.

Oliver (Azhy Robertson) is an autistic kid who is struggling to get by in a world that doesn’t seem to like him. His frazzled mother Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) is barely able to handle his ticks and quirks, and father Marty (John Gallagher Jr.) is on his way out the door (quite literally in this marriage). Oliver runs across a digital story called “Misunderstood Monsters: A Children’s Story” about a misunderstood monster called Larry. It seems innocent at first, but the more Oliver reads the story, the more he thinks he can actually SEE Larry. Soon it become apparent that Oliver isn’t just crying wolf about seeing a “monster under the bed” as his parents realize that the story is a gateway for “Larry” to enter this world, born of the loneliness and pain caused by lack of human interaction, and take Oliver with him back to the realm beyond the screen.

Come Play isn’t so big on SCARES for a horror movie, but rather on the story it’s trying to tell. Sure Jacob Chase crafts a typical horror surrounding for the story with some decent scares, but the real focus is on the moray of dealing with the world of technology that we have today and how readily (or over readily) available it is. The loneliness and social isolation that occurs is chief focus of the tale, showing just how pulled back and anti-social society in GENERAL has become. Sure we can justify that we’re dealing with people in a digital manner, but we all know at the end of the day that it isn’t the same thing as genuine social interaction. The intensity in which the 3rd act plays out and reveals the true source of the monster’s power and energy is quite disturbing when thought of from a sociology stand point.

I liked a lot of the social underpinnings from that Chase was trying to convey, but I was still a bit put off by how bland the horror itself was. The story has a nice scares here and there (especially near the end), but it just wasn’t engaging ENOUGH. The jump scares were few and far between, and while the allegorical elements of the story were the strongest point, it was never enough to overcome the lackluster horror elements. It was well acted, and Azhy Robertson did fantastic without saying a single word, as his visual facial cues say everything.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for terror, frightening images and some language




Video:

The 2.39:1 framed Blu-ray image is always well done, even though it is basically bathed in darkness for 80% of the film. The brighter day shots are very crisp and well defined, with colors that pop and a warm hue that is almost honey colored. Some of the actual images of light show some intentional haziness (that warm push does that) but all in all the image is very sharp and clean in those circumstances. Darker shots (which is most of the film) is a bit noisier, with some definite grittiness in the shadows. Still, shadow details is quite good and the image doesn’t suffer from much black crush. There’s always plenty of fine detail rendered in the darkest of scenes, and the clarity is spot on.







Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track is quite the crowd pleaser, with high noted score elements, and deep rumbling bass when “Larry” decides to show up. The score is ominous and tense, adding a lot of weight to the whole ambiance (most of a horror movie’s sound is derived from a great score). Vocals are crisp and clean as usual, but I did noticed that sometimes the whispers were a little TOO low for the surrounding effects. It wasn’t enough to really dock any points, but something I noticed when I watched it the first time. The second time seemed easier as I knew what was coming and the difference in volume level between the ambient sounds and the vocals is very slight. Surrounds showcase a very nice and airy feeling, with the flitting and scritching of Larry’s body dancing around the room, as well as highlighting individual creaks and groans coming from Oliver’s room.
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Extras:

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Final Score: ​

In and of itself, Come Play is a fun story. It’s well acted, has a great allegorical tale, and the concept is way above over “technology horror” movies out there (no stupid ideas like “the internet kill you” or anything). However, it just can’t truly get over the bland horror aspirations that are...well….kind of necessary for a horror movie. It’s still solidly fun though, and has enough going for it that I still recommend it for a good watch. The Blu-ray from Universal looks and sounds rather good, but sadly ZERO extras for us to enjoy. Solid Watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr.
Directed by: Jacob Chase
Written by: Jacob Chase
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, French, Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 97 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: January 26th 2021

Recommendation: Solid Watch

 

[Asere]

Thanks for the review. I will be watching this one

 

[Asere]

In fact I just placed an order for Come Play and Alone

 

[tripplej]

Thanks also for the review. Will check it out.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I'll keep my eye out for this one... probably streaming, though. I don't see dropping coin on it. Thaks for the review Mike!

 

[Asere]

Wife and I really liked this movie. Some parts reminded me of Lights Out and other parts A Quiet Place with the field scene and monster. A Quiet Place had a deaf girl and Come Play an autistic child. I would watch it again and do recommend having such a great story behind it. There is nothing like a mothers love.