• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Gavin MacIver-Wright, Winslow Fegley, Azhy Robertson and Jayden Marine star in a scene from the movie "Come Play." The Catholic News Service classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo/Jasper Savage, Amblin Partners via Focus Features)

Movie Review: ‘Come Play’

November 4, 2020
By John Mulderig
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews, News, World News

NEW YORK (CNS) — If the monster movie “Come Play” (Focus) is only reasonably effective in frightening its audience, it is at least refreshingly free of objectionable material, including gore.

Thus, although it’s not a film for small fry, it is a feature that can be enjoyed by the rest of the family.

Oliver Sutton (Azhy Robertson) is an isolated 8-year-old autistic boy who doesn’t speak, instead using a handheld device to communicate his thoughts. His attentive mom Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) works hard to battle the effects of his condition. But she resents the fact that Oliver’s dad, Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), only wants to spoil his son and avoids the daily drudgery involved in really caring for him.

As a result, the couple’s marriage is breaking down and Marty is preparing to move out of the house. So, when Oliver begins to be stalked by an otherworldly creature who goes by the ironically prosaic name Larry, Sarah is at first too distracted to grasp what’s going on.

Larry uses the internet to present Oliver with a combination children’s story and autobiography called “Misunderstood Monsters.” If he can get Oliver to read his tale all the way through, Larry will be able to cross over fully into the human realm and carry Oliver off with him. He pretends to want to befriend the lad but, of course, his real design is a far darker one.

Luckily for Oliver, Sarah eventually becomes a believer. Once she does, she gives her all to the fight to protect him.

In expanding his eponymous short film, writer-director Jacob Chase goes for old-fashioned, bump-in-the-night thrills. As for the more serious items on his agenda, they’re conveyed with uneven success.

The psychology underlying Larry’s attempt to exploit Oliver’s vulnerability rings true. But Chase’s message about online interaction supplanting in-person encounters and thereby breeding the loneliness that creates Larry in the first place is a bit heavy-handed. His depiction of maternal love enduring through challenges alike ordinary and extraordinary is, by contrast, served up more adroitly.

Its sweetly sentimental wrap-up may not be to every taste. But “Come Play” is that rarity in the horror genre, a picture parents and their older kids can watch together without wincing.

The film contains occult themes and at least one mild oath. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

More Movie Reviews

Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’

Movie Review: ‘The Boogeyman’

Videogame Review: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’

Shia LaBeouf: ‘I fell in love with Christ’ to portray Padre Pio on screen

Movie Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’

TV Review: ‘Mrs. Davis’

Copyright © 2020 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

John Mulderig

Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world today.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’
  • Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken
  • Missionary of mercy priest: ‘Be Christ to all people’ in a world ‘hungry for the Word’
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

| Latest Local News |

‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years

Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken

| Latest World News |

Dodgers’ faith night ‘not enough’ to address controversy over LGBTQ+ group, anti-Catholic concerns

Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law

Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Dodgers’ faith night ‘not enough’ to address controversy over LGBTQ+ group, anti-Catholic concerns
  • Last week, I got to just be Mom
  • Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law
  • Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court
  • Senate approves House-passed debt ceiling deal, avoiding default
  • Profit-at-all-costs is not a good business model, pope says
  • Farewell and thank you
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Expertos esperan avances en salud, discapacidad y ministerio hispano en la reunión de junio de los obispos de EE.UU.

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED