Review of Funny Games (1997) by Daniel P — 16 Jan 2012

The 2004 DVD release of this film has an interview at the end with Michael Haneke that I think is essential. In it, he says that "People watch this film for as long as they have to." If you've never been the type to watch violent films, you'll turn this off right away... and if you're always watching them, you'll very likely get to the end. As Haneke puts it, you'll only get to the end if you need to.

So what is it? Basically, a couple and their son (about 10 years old) travel to a summer home, where they become victims of a home invasion, in which the two villains narrate their actions, playing a form of twisted game in order to exploit, humiliate and eventually harm them. The story and the violence are carried off in a winking way, however, made to make you question what exactly you're watching, how you're watching it, and why. Hard to say more without ruining the effect. Provocative stuff.