Underappreciated '90s Horror Movies You Haven't Seen
By Emily Bell
Released in 1997, Funny Games is an Austrian film directed by filmmaker Michael Haneke. The movie follows a wealthy family who travels to their lake home for a short vacation. Shortly after arriving, the family is visited by two strange men asking to borrow eggs. As the men become increasingly confrontational, the film quickly takes a nasty turn, and the family is held captive in their own home. As the hours roll by, the family is relentlessly subjected to physical and psychological torture.
What separates Funny Games from other entries of the home invasion sub-genre is the sheer brutality of the film. Camera shots are slow, and there's a noticeable lack of excessive movement or stylized elements, making for an uncomfortable and sickeningly realistic showing of events. The film is uncompromising in its cruelty, featuring extended acts of violence and bone-chilling performances from the actors.
Additionally, Peter and Paul, the men who invade the family's home, are horrifying psychopaths, mirroring the likes of Alex from A Clockwork Orange. With all of these elements in mind, Funny Games is a raw, sickening title that offers no distractions from wanton violence. Plus, the movie is meta in the most unusual and terrifying ways. So if you're looking for horror in its purest, cruelest form, Funny Games will be right up your alley.
