FUNNY GAMES (1997) - Movie Review 

For as brutal and serious as this is, the opening scene is one of the funniest fucking scenes I've seen. The family just listening to classical and then the John Zorn screeching song just kicks in and was so unexpected on a first watch I had to pause because I couldn't stop laughing at the family just slightly smiling as it plays over it.

The “Because it’s so much fun Jan, get it” was a very nice touch. I love that video

you can tell Hanake’s main goal w this movie was to take the audience’s expectations and COMPLETELY DESTROY THEM, and he very much succeeded at that!

Wow, possibly your finest review yet. Such passion and insight into such a divisive work. Thank you for your commitment to championing the handful of provacateur filmmmakers (Zulawski's Possession, Gaspar Noe, Haneke, Jodorowski, Bunuel) without apologies. THESE are the films that will always come around in discussions of longevity and influence, NOT what film critics/historians try to convince us matter most. Keep the banner flying for these underdogs/misfits. Much appreciated.

Haneke leaves me the most cold of the revered auteur or whatever-you-want-to-call-them film-makers. Sure, maybe 'cold' is exactly how he wants you to feel, but I always feel like there's a real joylessness at the heart of what he does, and I feel I can get past anything *but* joylessness. And the kind of moralising it always seems like he's doing in one way or another. He is the most clearly influenced by Bresson of all directors working today - Bresson who *is* probably my most admired director. Their films feel very different to me in a way that's hard to articulate b/c Bresson certainly did a kind of moralising at times too, maybe his came more from a spiritual place with the intensity that brings whereas watching Haneke feels like the thoughts of some austere ethical philosopher who's opposed to the concept of fun and laughter.

When you quoted that Tarantino interview that made my day This film changed how I look at most films

I watched this film when I was too young to fully appreciate it; when I was expecting a popcorny home invasion thriller like Panic Room, and was totally blindsided. I need to rewatch it now, but you're right when you describe just how extremely heavy it is. I'm a little afraid to revisit it :o And I agree with what you said. I feel like the discourse about it is always very closed minded: "We get it, Haneke! Violence bad." But I think it's much more interesting and thoughtful than that, and looking at Haneke's other films, it's clear that he doesn't believe that. Cache has one of the most horrific, sudden acts of violence I've ever seen on film, and it's fully on display for us all to see. Funny Games isn't about "scolding" us for liking violent thrillers. It's about self reflection. Why do we enjoy watching things be destroyed? What do we gain from seeing someone else's (fictional) suffering? Why do we find this cathartic?

Great review! Love Michael Haneke. You should review The Piano Teacher.

I read somewhere that Haneke made this movie as a response to the violence in Pulp Fiction. He recalls seeing Pulp Fiction in theaters and being disturbed when the audience was amused at the scene when Marvin got shot.

I'd love to hear ur thoughts about the remote scene, what do u think it exactly meant ?

Your review is just as riveting as the movie. Hostel plus Saw cannot equal the amount of tension in this film! I prefer suggested violence that gets under my skin rather than buckets of gore splashed in my face.

Personally this movie completely failed on the most critical crucial aspect, being it’s marketing. If Haneke could have kept his mouth shut about his intentions I could have seen working greatly. So it was too much for me to suspend my disbelief that much when the entire aura of the movie before even watching it was being critical and (self proclaimed) deceiving, wich didn’t work even as a 16 year old. I know my criticism is technically outside the movie itself, but even aspects from outside should work to empower the film. It’s like watching the paint dripping out a clown’s face.

Funny Games US > Funny Games Michael Haneke said that he prefers Naomi Watts' performance in the first half of the film and Susanne Lothar's performance in the second half of the film

I personally prefer US Funny Games because of the Americanized formula. It fits the concept better. Also, I find Michael Pitts to play one of the unsung great cinema psychopaths. That, and the blown-out lighting is the chef's kiss.

@3:08: Sometimes, I like to go see the exact same movie twice or three times just to observe completely different reactions from the audience to the exact same scenes. It really goes to show how the cinematic experience relies completely on human subjectivity: something is only funny, sad, scary, or boring because either you think it is or because of what everyone else says; it's just a movie after all, and not actually "real".

I think, you have a fantastic grasp on this movie. Like, I needed to pause the video at 9:00 minutes in in order to tell you, how impressed I am by how intelligently you discuss and dissect the material!

Susanne Lothar’s performance specifically is *unbelievable* There’s not one second I don’t believe she is completely falling apart lol

My first viewing of the (2007) version was at a friend’s house when we were about 9-10 years of age. I remember watching, but only bits and pieces because my friend’s mom fast forwarded through practically every section and that she felt were “so stupid”. Even through the infamous remote scene in the movie. You can probably imagine how confusing it was to the mom when her fast forwarding was really fast backwarding at that point. Lol. Anyway, Funny Games scarred me for the rest of my early teens and actually was a huge reason for my continued interest in voyeuristic-type films. Great review as always!

Would love if you also reviewed The Seventh Continent. A very special experience

Are your videos mirrored? The letters on the books on your bookshelf are backwards in every video and it kinda bugs me.

I've only seen the remake but man this movie hurts me emotionally. I love what it's trying to say, just harder to watch than most of the films it's criticizing

Very few films have conjured the visceral animosity I felt towards frisch's character. He plays such a despicable, hard to even call him human, to perfection. It's unflinching in its depiction, and more unsettling than most horrors.

Thanks for this review. Funny Games is on a very short list of mine of movies that are completely successful on its own terms, but I'll never watch them again. Wouldn't even consider watching the remake.

Hey, don't know if you'll bother reading this but... I'd love if you did a retrospective on Haneke's entire filmography! He's one of my favorite filmmakers period and I'd love to hear your thoughts on all of his films! Anyway, great review as always :D

I'm as movie buffy a movie buff as a movie buff can be, but there are movies I'll never watch (this one, Pasolini's Salo, the Saws, the Hostels etc). & I don't think I'm missing out on anything that would improve my life.

I love the way you view this movie. Regardless of how hard to watch it can be, and it truly is, I love the little moments of human perseverance make it a much more heartfelt & emotional experience that something like Hostel could never be. Pure tragedy overall.

Michael Haneke in 97 making FunnyGames: “Fuck you. Here’s a horror movie” Me, a horror fan: “Thank you 🙌” MH: “…no, that’s not-“ Me: “Omg it’s amazing, I love it 😍” MH: “😐”

Can you give some examples of the other movies you alluded to which explore a similar philosophy regarding the relationship between audience and cinema?

All I see when I watch this is the hand of the director scolding the audience. It makes the most boring point then beats you over the head with it for 2 hours. Haneke making a shot for shot remake of his own movie is one of the most pompous moves in cinema history.

A little bit unsettling that 3 of the actors died within 5 years..

Interesting analysis. Certainly not Haneke's masterpiece, but essential viewing for anyone interested in film as art. I think the mysterious "X" quality (alluded to by our lovely host) that sets Funny Games apart from a dozen similar exercises is this: The screen surface captures the extra-diegetic fact that the writer-director and actors are, in a weird way, having fun with the project. We can SEE, somehow, that they're aware not only of the conceited nature of the project, but also that they're conscious of its fascination and brilliance. I recall years ago hearing Haneke say that when he was directing the actors, he told Peter and Paul to play as if they were in a light comedy and the family to play as if they were in a psychological thriller, giving the movie a bicameral tone.

Another slight difference between the two films which you may not have picked up: Peter consistently wipes sweat from his face in the Austrian version while in the US remake he is never shown to be sweaty. It adds an interesting detail that is missing in the US version, as Peter appears nervous about something while he's standing in the kitchen which makes him more suspicious to the audience. However, Peter in the remake is a bit more calm, collected and calculated. It's subtle but it's definitely one of the more significant differences between the two films. In an interview, Brady Corbet mentioned that Haneke's explanation for the shot-for-shot remake was due to his experience directing a stage play in two different countries noting "the only difference was the performances". I suppose Frank's Peter is a bit more anxious about committing these horrible acts while Brady's Peter seems a bit happier to be going along for the ride and a bit more calculated in his actions.

I thought the "indict the audience" thing was bullshit, and a mere excuse for Haneke to indulge in sadism.

ahhh Hanake is one of my favorites. would looove to see you reviewing Piano Teacher or Caché

I just watched the original recently. I think I like the American remake better but it could just be that once you get the point you can't reexperience it. Good call on the Clockwork Orange connection. The white outfits were a definite callback.

Nice, a Haneke review!

great review! gonna watch this movie tonight!

I liked your parallel between types of movie fans with expectations

Definitely agree that it helps watching it in terms of a thesis work or something more academic given the subject matter it critiques. But damn the medium and way in which Michael Haneke binds the audience to the film makes it feel impossible not to be fully immersed

i never understood the hate for the remake. in my opinion it's the same movie, and i saw the remake first so i prefer it to the original.

Excellent review of a great film

Excellent review! A multi-layered film that every time you watch it you discover something new. An attempt to portray not so much the violence but the concept of Evil and especially the "Banality of Evil" (I think there is a strong influence of Hannah Arendt on Haneke). A unique masterpiece, dark, claustrophobic, with no way out or hope ... (And there is no salvation even in ... remote control!😜). Greetings from Greece!

I know this is really fucked up, but this has become one of my "comfort movies". I don't often like to rewatch movies, but I like to rewatch this one and sort of enjoy now knowing what is to come. I would also love to watch this in a theater! Let's hope they do that next year for the 25th anniversary!

I've only ever seen the remake. I'm just learning right now that it was a shot-for-shot remake!

The fact that there is an American remake of this, also directed by Haneke AND is typically well received, speaks volumes about him as a filmmaker to me.

The remake is a damn near identical film. The only thing I could see you arguing is better is the acting and even that's very debatable, IMO both versions the actors played the roles VERY similarly. If anything, I genuinely believe whatever version you watch first will be your preferred. It's the first viewing that has the impact.

Both are amazing, but i´m more of the american Remake. It did took me more time to apreciaste it, but one i did, i loved it. I think that it´s a matter of choice, but either way, they´re amazing.

Happy 4th 🎆

Just finished watching it, at the first 5 minutes after the film I hated it, but then I started to think about the movie and got the whole idea and fell in love it. I liked that at the beginning the villain helps them with the boat, and the lady makes food and is talking over the phone and then she is talking with that guy about the eggs and it is all very slow, and the director is teasing us to think "ok let's go, unleash the carnage" and by the end of the movie the director is playing with you in a sense that he says "so this is what you really wanted!" in a cinical manner. I actually liked the film, the acting was great, it was painful to watch but in a good way and I liked the massage of the film and it's interactiveness.

I haven't seen the remake exactly for the reason you mentioned.I am afraid that the charm of the realism will be removed and that it would be too polished, deliberately of course.But still,don't want to ruin it for myself

Funny Games was my second favorite film of 1997 ( The Sweet Hereafter my favorite) I thought it was so candid in it's brutality that it was refreshing. The literal rewind and addressing the audience was a moment of cinematic genius. The film follows it's own rules & that is a rarity. The remake is surprisingly dull.

To concur with another comment here, this movie belongs to my "comfort movies" list. The kind of movies you would rewatch particularly after having just seen another terrible movie, simply to restore my faith in cinema. One thing I sorely missed in this movie is when the boat people neighbors made a quick stop to day hi to the wife and one of the "boys" when they left I wish Hanneke had given us a POV shot from the boat to dovetail with the POV shot from the car at the beginning when the couple spotted the other neighbor couple with the bad guys, that's all. Or maybe Hanneke had left it on the cutting floor, another expectation undercutting move from this wickedly amazing filmmaker.

I’ve definitely turned into the fan that Haneke would not like. I’ve seen this movie over well 30 times I’m just so in love with it. It’s absolutely my favorite movie ever ❤ Ciao Bella!

I like ths remake more because of advanced camera and better performance.

No way in hell... I have just finished Funny Games and come to RU-vid for a review. Basically you uploaded this video while I was watching the movie. Love your reviews by the way.

I just watched this yesterday!

I will never look at bread the same way again!

I'm curious as to why Michael Haneke had to direct this movie twice : couldn't he just have it marketed several times to different audiences? The idea of re-releasing an already made movie was in no way an alien concept. Other films like "Napoleon" (2002) were like that. I was just going to comment that Isabelle Huppert would have been perfect for the main role; then it just occurred to me that Susanne Lothar, the German actress in the original movie, also starred with Huppert in "The Piano Teacher".

I have seen both the original and the remake - both are made with great skill and are infuriating to watch. But if I had to pick one, I actually think the acting and quality of the remake makes it very slightly more effective and are harder to watch. I therefore would give the edge to the remake, but just barely.

“How dare Haneke scold me for enjoying horror movies!” Actual esteemed film critics with major platforms have had this take away un ironically it blows my mind.

On point

Nihilism has no pay off

Haneke have a better movies but this is also great, i love The white ribbon, Cache, Amour, Code Unknown, Happy end, Haneke is great director far better than 99% Hollywood directors ho only made pop corn Entertainment movies

Please review: HAIDER (2014)

16:16 Nice.

Michael Haneke's movies tend to come off as these overly serious, overly bitter, overly harsh philosophy thesis on the world to me. He clearly has things he wants to say, but the guy seems jaded and condescending to the point that it ruins the appeal of his films. Most other directors who make thought-provoking films seem to want to challenge, but also invite the audience in to their works, but Haneke seems often more interested in punishing us for enjoying the medium of film and all its artificialities more than anything and in doing so, he has lost me and plenty other people here. What's the point of liking him when he so clearly hates us?

...so this means something

omg i love this movie

Honestly I got no sense of what to expect from "Funny Games". When you said to was hard to verbalize, you weren't kidding.

Beny's video Is better in my opinion, is darker and fucked up, that's because of.the character of benny who is flesh out unlike the 2 killers in funny games

Love the original, I watched the remake but a long time ago , both are great

watching Funny Games is inviting a terrorist into your home. Sure, we can all stand to crack a few eggs for a story but this is really experiment than plot, and you are the patient. Haneke studies our somewhat arbitrary loyalties to fictional characters like a cat batting around its live prey, waiting for its adrenaline to peak before devouring its skull for the short rush. Our spoiled expectations for happy endings are mercilessly mocked, but at least he reminds us that remote controls exist if it really bothers you.

Funny Games (1997) is a masterpiece. I admire how the "breaking of the fourth wall" is used in the film. It is maliciously clever and effective. The performances are phenomenal, especially Lothar’s and Frisch’s (this dude flawlessly incarnates the role of a sadistic and cruel vilain). I really root for the captive family and the performances of the actors make the situation completely believable. Honestly, this film is close to perfection. It’s in my Top 30 favorite films of all time for sure.

hi

Meh, was underwhelmed by this. Was ok but dunno why its got such a good reputation. The parents act totally illogically and dont seem that upset over their son being gunned down. Just meh. Was waiting for the end tbh.

Horrible movie 😆 So bad

I like your reviews, but they are too abstract. I think you should sometimes get to the specifics, dissect a scene, get into details, and spoil the heck of the movie. I want to see some reviews like that.

Absolutely loath this movie. Just felt it was a cruel piece of Euro dung.

I loved the movie! I actually wanted to see them be tortured More !!