Stupid Games

This is a sleek and tense indie horror that leans heavily on atmosphere, minimalism, and the creeping sense of dread that bubbles up from a night of innocent fun turning into something far more sinister. Directed by Nicolas Wendl and Dani Abraham, and written by Tanner Adams, the film follows Celeste, who hosts a dinner party for her one-night stand, Jaxon, and his friends. What starts as a typical game night soon spirals into a nightmarish ordeal after they start playing a seemingly innocuous board game that has dangerous consequences.

The standout strength of the film is how it plays with expectations. You could easily predict where a lot of the scenes are headed, but there's a subtle craftsmanship in the pacing and visual storytelling choices that keep you hooked. The board game itself becomes more of a metaphorical catalyst than a true plot device.

The pacing might be a turn-off for some, especially those looking for the more overtly shocking moments typical of the genre. It relies heavily on a slow burn that doesn't always land with the intensity you might hope for.

Still, for what it is-a small-scale horror film that thrives on psychological tension and limited resources-Stupid Games delivers. It's not flawless, but it's a quietly unsettling piece of genre cinema that's definitely worth a look.

Arriving at a friends' apartment, a group of guys decide to get together with their dinner plans turning into a special series of games that take up their night, but as the festivities continue it dawns on the men that the women have ulterior motives for everything and must stop it from transpiring.

Overall, this was a somewhat enjoyable effort for the most part. Among the better features here is the solid and likable enough setup to get the victims together under this particular premise. After getting everyone lured together with the pretense of dinner and then gradually descending into the bizarre board game the deeper into the night it goes, this one comes off well enough that the chaotic nature of the board game becomes increasingly more compelling. The tasks being forced to complete and the consequences for failing them make for some enjoyable moments here involving the dark figure constantly lurking in the background of everything and the confusing rules that are in play for the fun finale, which all make the film quite entertaining at times. There are some issues here that hold this one down. One of the main drawbacks of this one is a rather weak storyline that makes it feel more appropriate for a short film or an anthology tale than anything else. This one takes so long to get going with the friends hanging out having dinner and conversations about their past together that it tends to feel like padding to bump out the running time while we're getting to know the characters. Some of these interactions are fine at this stage of the film but it just draw the film out for quite a while without featuring any kind of genre action normally expected here with so much time spent on the various bits learned about each other just stall out the pacing to this one without much in the way of storyline helping this along. That also means the majority of the film relies on the confines of the bizarre game that the group plays which grows somewhat darker the more the night goes on but which also makes no sense. Despite the candle-lit setting and bizarre series of tasks and challenges that are to be accomplished over the course of this one, the lack of rules and purpose behind everything makes for a game where it has very few stakes. Since the girls are kept to a secretive air about why the boys are there and what they're doing, the idea of forcing them to play everything out and not allowing any clues to their real intent is kept hidden for so long any interest is long gone by the time it comes to the more intriguing elements even with no knowledge of what's going on. Featuring no real gore or scares present either, there are some big issues to be had here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

What starts as a casual evening soon turns into an unpredictable night of wine, conversation, and a game of Quest for Truth Minutia.

The pacing of the film is a bit sluggish at first. It takes almost an hour to get to the good stuff, while many horror films usually hit their stride by the 30-minute mark. The build-up feels overly drawn out, leaving you wanting more action after the long wait.

In comparison to most horror flicks that tend to dive into the thrills earlier, this one feels more like a drawn-out build, leaving you a bit impatient for the suspense to finally kick in.

All in all Stupid Games is fun and hits creepy moments just right in the third act. Worth a watch!

Independent films are hard to compete with the big dog studio films typically due to money and time. This indie horror defied many odds in my opinion having a very talented eye behind the camera, incredible lighting, and a twist on a concept that is relatable to many. Are there moments that you feel choices were made based on what they had, yes, but that doesn't take away from the experience or make it less entertaining which is where some lower budget films can lose me. The characters were developed as well as can be with 90% of the story staying in one location and Stanley really steals the show for me. Overall really well done here and hope to see more from Director Nicolas Wendl, Producer Dani Abraham, and writer Tanner Adams. Maybe a Stupid Games 2 and a bigger budget?

"Stupid Games" is the kind of horror film that doesn't quite live up to its promise, but still manages to entertain in an oddly guilty-pleasure kind of way. Directed by Nicolas Wendl and Dani Abraham, this 2024 release aims to blend psychological horror with 90s supernatural boardgame horror.

There are some genuinely clever moments where the tension builds, and you feel that sense of dread that any good horror film should evoke. The atmosphere is well-crafted, with a great soundtrack and some striking visuals that do a lot to set the mood.

While the film doesn't reinvent the wheel by any means, Stupid Games still offers enough thrills and even laughs to keep viewers entertained, especially if they're fans of indie horror films where you can feel the filmmakers heartbeat in it.