Come Play (2020)

Director: Jacob Chase

Starring: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr.

A monster named Larry manifests itself through smart phones and mobile devices. 

If I haven’t seen so many movies already, I might have been impressed by ‘Come Play’. Unfortunately – as someone who has seen a fair share of movies – I see fragments of so many movies here: The Babadook, Poltergeist, Boogeyman, Mama, The Darkest Hour, Ouija, Slender Man…

In fact, ‘Come Play’ so shamelessly copies ‘The Babadook’ you’d think this is a remake. Oh look, the boy is also autistic. This is just more modernized with phones and tablets instead of a book. Unfortunately, the acting by the two leads are not nearly as good or convincing as the mother and boy in ‘The Babadook’.

The story grew stale on me very quickly and felt way too overdramatic too soon. It also felt like an advertising vessel for Spongebob Squarepants…

On a positive note, good editing makes the film scarier than it ought to be. The visuals are also rather good, and the creature is creepy (although nothing we haven’t seen before). The film sends the message that people spend too much time looking at screens, and not each other. Valid point in this day and age, I suppose. Oh whatever… rather watch ‘The Babadook’.

Would I watch it again? No.