COME PLAY is a new horror movie based on a short film. It features a creepy monster that looks really awesome. And yes, it should terrify many mainstream viewers. However, most hardcore horror fans probably won’t be easily frightened. Read our full Come Play review here!

COME PLAY is a new horror movie. Most horror fans probably won’t be that crazy about this one since most of the plot is easily guessed in advance. Also, many of the classic horror moves are used. This is all well and good, of course, but mostly for a mainstream audience that will surely be terrified by the “Larry” monster.

Continue reading our full Come Play movie review below.

BONUS: Check out the short film Larry which has been adapted into the feature film Come Play. It’s just 5 minutes long and works really well – we’ve included it at the bottom of this review, just beneath the trailer. If you like the short film (which does not spoil the movie), then check out the feature film as well.

Everything kids (and their parents) fear

Come Play is essentially about a very creepy monster named “Larry”. This is especially creepy for kids since Larry wants to find a kid to “come with him”. Very appropriately, the main character in this movie is also a child. And yes, the monster in this movie is the kind with long, skinny arms and legs, which enables it to move around quickly and grab at you. Also, he’s always wet and slimy. 

We do actually see quite a lot of this monster, but mostly towards the end. Always a good thing since monsters tend to become less scary once we really see them. The unknown is usually a lot scarier to most.

The main character in this movie is a young boy with autism who isn’t speaking yet. Obviously, this makes for some intensity at times, since he can’t communicate what he’s experiencing. However, it’s taken too far since he often isn’t capable of nodding his head yes or shaking his head no at crucial times. At other points in the movie, it doesn’t seem to be a problem. 

I’m not a fan of creating drama in this way; Either he can visually show yes and no or he can’t. Changing it up to create extra drama just becomes annoying. Also, it feeds into the fear of many parents; That their kid experiences something terrible and can’t or won’t tell them about it.

Come Play (2020) Review | Horror Movie

The cast of Come Play

The young boy, Oliver, is portrayed by Azhy Robertson. He also played the son in the Oscar-winning Netflix movie Marriage Story. Also, Azhy Robertson is currently filming the Invasion TV series right now. It will be based on HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, so he’s sticking with genre production right now.

I’m not familiar with any kids that have autism in the way the Oliver character has. In other words, I don’t feel confident in saying whether he does a good job of portraying this or not. Basically, I switch between thinking he’s doing a great job and feeling like he’s overdoing it for drama. But, again, I really don’t know if he’s simply doing a realistic portrayal.

The parents of Oliver are played by Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. I would think Gillian Jacobs is still best known for her role in the TV series Community, but she was also in the 2009 thriller The Box and in an episode of the Jordan Peele Twilight Zone reboot.

John Gallagher Jr. has already become a recognized genre film actor with several productions on his resume. He was in 10 Cloverfield Lane and in the Mike Flanagan Netflix movie Hush. Also, more recently, he was in season 3 of Westworld.

Watch Come Play in movie theaters or at home

Jacob Chase wrote and directed Come Play, which is based on his own short film Larry from 2017. Basically, he’s doing what David F. Sandberg did when he started his Hollywood career by making Lights Out (2016) based on his (and wife, Lotta Losten) own short film. Since then, Sandberg went on to make Annabelle 2: Creation and Shazam! so he’s doing great!

Come Play, however, isn’t a feature film debut for Jacob Chase. He also directed the indie feature film The Four-Faced Liar (2010) which was pretty good – though not written by him.

Unfortunately, I can’t help but feel that Come Play ends up running too long in some unfortunate ways. Like plot developments that don’t work well and characters making increasingly dumb choices. But okay, I acknowledge that this can be part of the struggle when taking a short film idea and developing it into a feature film.

Still, it’s Halloween season and if you’re looking for a classic horror movie with jump scares and things that hide in the dark corner, then Come Play definitely delivers. Just don’t expect too much from the plot and you’ll be well entertained.

Come Play will be out in theaters from October 30, 2020 – just in time for Halloween. It will also be released On Demand on November 19, 2020.

Details

Director: Jacob Chase
Writer: Jacob Chase
Stars: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Winslow Fegley

Plot

A lonely young boy feels different from everyone else. Desperate for a friend, he seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses the boy’s devices against him to break into our world, his parents must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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