Movie Breakdown: Come Play

Pre-Screening Stance:

The trailer for Come Play presents a likely-fun, possibly-scary movie, but it also shows way too much (including multiple shots of the monster – whose idea was that?). I’m still excited to check it out, but I do wish I was going into it having seen a lot less of it.

Post-Screening Ramble:

If you’ve ever stared into the screen of your phone or tablet and wondered if something was staring back, then Come Play is the movie for you. Larry, in this instance, is what’s been watching a boy named Oliver (Azhy Robertson), an autistic, mute child who uses his devices to communicate. Now, I realize that Larry sounds like a random perv in a basement somewhere, but he’s actually a creepy creature, and he desperately wants Oliver to summon him by reading his story (it appears on Oliver’s various screens, like a pop up). This will allow him to hop into the real world, where he can then claim the boy as his one true forever friend.

I had a pretty good time with Come Play, but a lot of it is totally half baked. For example, Larry’s all about that screen game rage because everyone in the world spends so much time staring into them instead of being with each other, but it’s never really clarified as to why he’s solely interested in Oliver, who actually uses his devices out of necessity (and not to waste time). The film also regularly bends the hell out of its own rules and/or has its characters do things that don’t quite jive with their previous behavior. In other words, Come Play is an experience that’s easily pulled apart if you spend even a moment thinking about any of it, so I advise that you don’t do that at all. Just enjoy the variety of quality scares that it serves up via its gangly monster.

Again, Come Play is fun, but it’s held together by Scotch tape and gum. So, if you’re going to watch it, leave your brain elsewhere.

One Last Thought:

I’m always going to find a monster named Larry to be funny. By the way, I fully figured it would be revealed that the creature’s real name was some kind of ancient-sounding concoction, but nope, it’s actually Larry.