Nicholas Ferwerda’s “Family Game Night” is a short that I could actually see becoming a feature film somewhere down the road. The potential for a dark comedy horror film is right there. As a short though, it’s a very good and very darkly eccentric horror film with a fun twist on the conventional nuclear family concept that entertains successfully.
It’s family game night and daughter Kelly has brought home a homeless man to indulge in some dinner and some fun family games. Despite his insistence he leave the family to their devices, they invite him to stay and play their favorite game. They only play one game, after all. It’s called “Sacrifice.” You could pretty much see where everything is going once the homeless man makes himself comfortable, but the delivery is what counts.
The performances all around are hilarious and demented, and brought a genuine smile to my face. Particularly there’s Mark Brombacher whose portrayal of a typical suburban dad you’d never expect to be sinister, is a scene stealer. “Family Game Night” is well shot, and simple, which is what helps with the creepy premise about what goes on behind family’s closed doors. It also manages to be quite successful in its disturbing concept and how gleeful our villains are in their acts. “Family Game Night” is a very good horror treat, and I hope we can see more from director Ferwerda soon.