Come Play

Kind of works better as a short film, but a good movie overall

The movie started off great. It reminds me of a project where someone does the first half and then you can notice where the second person picked up on the rest of it. The last quarter of this movie was so bad. Without it, this would’ve been an easy like for me.

I really enjoyed this movie and I’m so glad that they actually made the “mean” kid not mean. I love how he ended up helping the main character and when they found out their anger was just from a misunderstanding because of their parents they went back to being best friends.

Come Play offers a genuinely interesting premise that felt especially fitting for 2020, when so much of our lives revolved around screens and technology. The idea of a monster using phones, tablets, and other devices as a gateway is already creepy, but the film adds another layer by making its main character, Oliver, autistic. His reliance on technology to communicate and help regulate his emotions makes the threat feel even more terrifying. It’s one thing for a demon to be haunting your devices—it’s another when those same devices are essential to your child’s daily life. That added emotional weight makes many of the film’s suspenseful moments much more effective.

Where the movie struggles is with its monster, Larry. I actually don’t dislike the explanation they give for him, but I wish the film spent more time clarifying his motivations and the rules surrounding him. Why is the mother suddenly able to take Oliver’s place? Does Larry genuinely care about Oliver and just want companionship, or is he simply manipulating him? The movie raises interesting questions but never fully commits to answering them, which makes the finale feel a little confusing.

That said, the performances do a lot of heavy lifting. Gillian Jacobs and Azhy Robertson are both excellent and completely sell the emotional core of the story. Their relationship feels believable, which makes the danger surrounding them much more impactful.

And can we talk about the dad for a second? Sir, please. You’re barely around for most of the movie, constantly making things harder, and somehow still trying to act like the reasonable parent. Then after everything that happens—including the car accident—it’s the mom who ultimately has to make the sacrifice to save their son. Now all of a sudden you want to step up and be Father of the Year? Be serious.

Overall, I enjoyed Come Play. The monster design is creepy, the atmosphere is effective, and the movie kept me engaged the entire time. Even though I wish the lore had been fleshed out more, I was never bored, and Larry is genuinely unsettling whenever he appears on screen.

for me it's boring

he’s so cute i’ll adopt him and W movie