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Peculiar thriller begins quite promisingly, but takes a curious, dispiriting turn somewhere along the way and never recoups its glory. Upscale New York couple James Caan and Katharine Ross--who enjoy warped versions of penny-arcade games and mischievous pranks--invite fragile saleswoman Simone Signoret to stay with them, which culminates in a crime. Director Curtis Harrington, who was also involved with the script, sets up an initially delicious puzzle involving the decadent rich, but allows the intricacies of the character-development to unravel in the second act. Caan and Ross appear to be very much in love--and Ross herself seems to be a pretty smart cookie--rendering a plot-twist late in the proceedings unconvincing. William Fraker's cinematography is stylish, though the action rarely ventures outdoors and one becomes acutely aware of the low-budget underpinnings (the film also has a mysteriously European feel, causing the alleged New York location to seem irrelevant--and a mismatch with the material). Good acting only takes it so far. **1/2 from ****

It's a shame this is not easily available on DVD. It was a really cool thriller, well plotted, well acted.

Curtis Harrington, a director as interesting as he is unknown who did his first work on the B series, tackles here a project with more budget and more pretensions that lets you see and makes you hang out but that does not go much further and is too predictable .

Reminiscent of movies like Les Diaboliques (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955) or Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944), the great asset of this psychological thriller is the presence and great acting on of Simón Signoret (who was in 1955 film), in addition to the beautiful photography and the adequate recreation of a morbid and somewhat perverse atmosphere that as the plot film progresses is becoming more oppressive.

This film reminds me of "Sleuth", the movie based on a play by Anthony Shaffer released in 1972. Like in "Sleuth", people play games on each other and do not reveal their alliances, their true intentions or their true self. The story is acted like in a theatre play. The sets, representing a New York town house in a prosperous neighbourhood, are nicely done and give a vivid impression of the middle sixties' trends in fashion design and interior decorating - again you can compare it with the lavish set and the different costumes used by the protagonists in "Sleuth". For once, James Caan plays a slick urbanite, and he does it quite well. Don Stroud has a small part, a good actor whose screen presence and performance are always memorable. And then there is Simone Signoret ... as always she is absolutely riveting, and she puts a lot of charm in her rather pityful character. She uses her French accent very much to her advantage! "Games" is an elegant, suspenseful thriller for people who like to see a play now and then. Only right at the end you will know who has won!

A mindgames playing couple played by James Caan and Katharine Ross invites an intriguing older lady into their lives. Simone Signoret plays an aging cosmetics saleswoman invited to spice up their lives. The couple thought they were experienced, but could they be outplayed by her? The performances by all three are good. The tension is predicated on the likability of the couple Caan and Ross. That's questionable. They are written with too much callousness. They don't play nice normal people and I don't really care what happens to them. But it's a good exercise of whodunnit for the mind. At its core, it mattered very little the outcome. It makes the movie less than what it could have been.

As a previous reviewer noted it's pretty damn slow for a thriller/horror pic. This central flaw is exhibited most clearly in that long and drawn out dead body disposal scene where director Curtis Harrington and scenarist Gene Kearney are too talky when they should be laconic (and suspenseful). Ironically, when the screenplay should be explanatory, as in providing a credible motivation for why Katherine Ross should invite an obviously dodgy Simone Signoret to live with her and hubby James Caan, Kearney goes all reticent on us and thus sacrifices what little credibility the story has. The result is your average scary movie which is not all that scary. Or disturbing. Or even interestingly deranged. C plus.

Crafty little thriller about a wealthy, bored young couple (James Caan and Katharine Ross) who resort to playing kinky games for kicks. The games turn deadly though when mysterious stranger Simone Signoret insinuates herself into their lives. After a rather slow start, Games soon segues into an exciting, serpentine mystery that seems way ahead of its time for 1967. Although modern audiences have become too adept at sniffing out clues and predicting twist-endings, this film is still very effective at keeping its audience guessing. Rarely shown on tv, but if you do have the opportunity to see it...do!

This movie makes me think of two masterpieces of suspense, "les Diaboliques" and "Sleuth". But "Games" isn't a masterpiece, because the three characters are not developed, I really don't understand their motivation. The main interest is to see a wonderful casting but sadly with no development. Simone Signoret is still brilliant as a mysterious lady, James Caan is so handsome and photogenic and Katherine Moss hypnotised me. The colorful settings and costumes are really pop arty and a feast for the eyes. It remains a fine entertainment.

Stylish photography, very well acted and very well written and directed thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Katherine Ross and James Caan as the bored kinky NY couple are outstanding in one of their early roles. Made in 1967 this film was way ahead of it's time with it's themes. If you like offbeat mysteries "Games" is a game you will want to play! Hard to find on tape, not on DVD and rarely on TV. Too bad because this film is like one of those lost cinematic gems. Hopefully a DVD distributer will release in a (hopefully)widescreen. Recommend this one highly.

You can't go home again. I remember seeing Games 35 years ago on the late-afternoon movie show, heavily cut. I treasured the memory of a suave, clever, scary film. I've been looking for this film for years; I wanted to share the fun with my friends. Unfortunately, I found it on DVD. While I understand why I loved it as a kid, it is one of those treasures that shouldn't be revisited. The direction is terrible, the script is worse, the cinematography and lighting are inept, same with the editing, and S Signoret appeared to be in her cups for most of the film(though she gave a good last scene). I'll give the other actors the benefit of the doubt...

A clever, well-acted thriller with enough plot twists to leave you reeling, and an ending you will not believe. From a dull beginning to an exhaustingly clever ending, it will hold you spellbound, confused, engrossed and tense. Should be re-released, but not re-made.

"Games" has barely aged in over forty years. What looked avant-garde in the 1960s endures as quintessentially modern. The art-filled New York City brownstone house could be featured on today's HGTV. The cast is first-rate. Simone Signoret does a variation of her "Diabolique" character - a cold, calculating opportunist beneath the serene, matronly exterior. Katherine Ross couldn't be lovelier - whenever the story's logic becomes a bit shaky, you're too distracted by her exquisite beauty to notice. James Caan does a great job as a slick charmer living off his wife's money. It's all a fun-filled puzzle with lots of suspense. Attention Universal Studios: Put this film on DVD!

Update: Finally got my hands on the DVD from the Universal Vault series. I enjoy this film now as much as I did back in 1967. For me it holds up well to repeated viewings. Even knowing every twist and turn of the plot, I find the urbane treachery and artful setting endlessly absorbing. "Games" probably won't be a preferred choice of younger audiences, but remains my favorite guilty pleasure.

It's hard if not impossible to believe the studios tossing around names like Marlene Dietrich and Simone Signoret when casting the the role of Lisa Schindler, the down-on-her-luck cosmetics saleswoman who wanders into the lives of bon vivants Paul and Jennifer Montgomery (deliciously cast James Caan and Katherine Ross). Such were the days when true Hollywood icons were available to lend gravitas to what could be standard horror fare.

The thing is, "Games" is hardly standard. It's wickedly evil, perverse, and calculating --- playing you like a piano, much the way Ross and Caan's characters typically play their party guests. The film takes place almost entirely in a fantastic set-piece brownstone owned by the couple, filled with off-putting expressionistic artwork and baroque/Gothic decorations. It's obvious neither Paul nor Jennifer work for a living, and placing a sophisticated cypher like Signoret among them, who oozes both charm and menace with equal ease, is a superb set-up.

All three of these characters enjoy playing "games" and suffice it to say, things take a turn for the worse rather quickly when Signoret gifts Jen and Paul a pair of antique dueling revolvers.

Curtis Harrington's direction really ignites this film: he plays with a lot of transposition and editing tricks that really heighten the suspense and paranoia. The last third of the film contains many moments that are downright terrifying, especially given the way they're set up and performed.

And of course, the script measures up to it, leading you down various false alleys and never giving you much clue as to what's going to happen next. When it's over, you can't believe you didn't see it coming, but that's part of the fun of "Games." It weaves a spell over you much like that mystical crystal ball of Madame Schindler's.

i've been looking for this movie for years, it's impossible to find. i believe it was removed from public viewing because it's too scary to watch. i don't mean scary in the sense that there are ghosts in the closet, i mean scary in the sense that it portrays real life evil and possible scenarios that you could be in. yeah, you. if you do manage to find it, i defy anyone to watch it alone at midnight in a dark home, it can't be done. i tried it and blacked out from fear about half way through. you'll have to turn it off or you'll be checking the door locks and calling your friends. simone is the most under rated actress in history and you'll be cursing james caan and katherine ross for letting her in the door in the first place. find it and watch it but remember, don't you dare do it alone.

I agree with others that this is a hard one to find, luckily I recorded it once years ago, but every now and then I dig it out and watch it. It's just a fun movie to watch with a great performance by Simone S. who dominates every scene she is in. This movie has atmosphere and an air of intimacy about it. The story may not be totally original but the originality of the characters overcomes any shortness of the script. Kooky Estelle Winwood is great as the "cat lady" who lives next door, who's always concerned about her savings coupons. The "Mod" decor of the 60's only enhances the funkiness to this movie. Scan the movie section and if you see it's going to be on by all means tune in and get turned on!

James Caan and Katherine Ross were each on the cusp of superstardom in 1967, he with a breakout performance in "The Godfather", she becoming a bonafide leading lady in "The Graduate". But before ascending into the rarified air of Hollywood Royalty, they made the clunker "Games" together.

Painfully slow and stunningly devoid of chills for an alleged "thriller", this one falls firmly into the category of "paying your dues".

Watching this legendary pair play Parcheesi would have been more stimulating.

Stylish, offbeat American variation on the classic French thriller DIABOLIQUE, which also featured Simone Signoret in the lead. Signoret is equally effective here, and a young James Caan and Katharine Ross are also impressive as the bewildered young couple whose seemingly mindless game-playing takes a deadly turn for the worse when the mystical Signoret enters their lives. Director Curtis Harrington(who also had a hand in the script) has added some exciting and effective new touches to this first-rate suspense tale.

When I was a kid living in southeast Missouri in the early '80s, this movie was frequently shown on television; there was a cable station out of St. Louis, I believe, that would show this. It would be shown as an afternoon movie from around 2-4 p.m., maybe, and then AGAIN in the evening, from 8-10. Captivated me the first couple of times I saw it, with its slick, stylish production values and quiet, slowly-escalating suspense, but I have to admit I got a little tired of seeing it. So I don't know what all this talk about it not being on TV is about. Well worth seeing if you never have, though, or if it's been awhile. All the performances are top notch, the story keeps you hooked and guessing--at least if you haven't seen a lot of these kinds of movies, I guess; to be honest, I think even as a kid I had a vague idea of how it would turn out. But getting there is fun.