Funny Games

Funny Games has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in the UK on Curzon Amazon Channel. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 2,289 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Naomi Watts leads a cast that carries the story without ever feeling mechanical. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Curzon Amazon Channel.

Funny Games arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The plotting in Funny Games is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. When Ann, husband George, and son Georgie arrive at their holiday home they are visited by a pair of polite and seemingly pleasant young men. Armed with deceptively sweet smiles and some golf clubs, they proceed to terrorize and torture the tight-knit clan, giving them until the next day to survive. Naomi Watts and Tim Roth lead a cast that gives the tension real weight. Funny Games came out in 2008. What makes Funny Games hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers who think they have seen every crime drama tend to find Funny Games proves them wrong. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Watch Naomi Watts work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.