All Fun and Games Salem’s Cursed Blade Turns Childhood Into Carnage

Something is unsettling about childhood games when you think about them. Hangman, Hide and Seek, and Red Rover are all thinly veiled exercises in cruelty dressed up as innocent fun. All Fun and Games takes this uncomfortable truth and cranks it up to demonic proportions, delivering a Salem-set horror that’s equal parts nostalgic nightmare and predictable popcorn fare.

When Games Turn Deadly

The film opens with that classic horror trope, a manic family member being shoved into a police car, setting the tone for what’s about to unfold. We’re immediately dropped into Salem (because, of course, it’s Salem), where a fractured family is dealing with the aftermath of their father being “gone.” What remains is a mother, two brothers, and an uncle, all trying to navigate their new reality while ancient curses lurk beneath the surface.

The premise hinges on a cursed knife that whispers seductively to whoever finds it, demanding they become its vessel. It’s a concept that could work brilliantly, but the execution feels frustratingly shallow. When younger brother Jo (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) unearths this blade complete with spell book, what does he do? He reads the carved words aloud, naturally. Because that’s what any rational 13-year-old would do with mysterious inscriptions on a blood-soaked knife found in witch trial central.

Possession and Poor Decision Making

The moment Jo mutters “I will play and I won’t quit,” the transformation is immediate and jarring. Ainsworth does admirable work showcasing this shift from innocent kid to malevolent vessel, but the script doesn’t give the other characters enough brain cells to notice someone’s carved an X into his forehead and is suddenly wielding cutlery with murderous intent.

This is where the film’s character development really starts to grate. Adults react to a blood-covered teenager with a knife like he’s having a mild mood swing rather than a full psychotic break. It’s the kind of horror movie logic that pulls you right out of the experience. Sure, we need people to die, but can we at least pretend they have survival instincts?

The possession element works better when it shifts to older brother Marcus (Asa Butterfield), who brings a more menacing presence to the role. Butterfield, fresh from his Sex Education success, proves he can carry darker material with confidence. The knife’s influence creates an interesting dynamic where each possessed family member loses their murderous edge once the blade moves on, becoming desperate to stay close to its corrupting power.

Games People Play (To Survive)

Once the supernatural shit hits the fan, the film settles into its groove of turning innocent games into death traps. Hide and Seek becomes a genuinely tense affair, while Hangman takes on a literal, rope-swinging meaning. The concept is solid, these are games we all played as kids, so there’s built-in dread in watching them weaponized.

The cinematography deserves credit here. Those night scenes are beautifully lit, creating an atmospheric playground for mayhem without falling into the “too dark to see anything” trap that plagues many horror films. The attention to visual aesthetics keeps you engaged even when the plot threatens to lose steam around the one-hour mark.

Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things’ Nancy Wheeler) anchors the family dynamic as sister Billy, bringing her trademark intensity to what could have been a thankless role. When she catches her boyfriend with another girl at a party, you can feel her frustration radiating off the screen, and that’s before the supernatural murder spree even begins.

Technical Terror and Familiar Frights

The film’s strongest asset is its restraint with violence. Rather than drowning us in gore, tactical camera work and well-timed cuts create tension without resorting to gratuitous bloodbath tactics. The effects work ranges from good to great, particularly in the possession sequences where subtle physical changes sell the supernatural takeover.

Sound design plays a crucial role, with the knife’s whispers creating an unsettling undercurrent throughout. The backing vocals that represent the blade’s consciousness are genuinely creepy, even if the overall score feels sparse. It’s clear the filmmakers understood that sometimes less is more when building atmosphere.

However, the film suffers from that modern horror curse, jump scares designed for cinema that lose all impact on home viewing. Unless you’ve got a stellar sound system or quality headphones, half the intended frights will fall flat. It’s the kind of movie that needed the theatrical experience to truly work.

Salem’s Witchy Legacy

The backstory involving Salem’s witch trials feels underdeveloped despite providing the film’s mythological foundation. We get glimpses of the original curse, a mother accused of witchcraft who cursed the blade so “they play forever,” but it’s more window dressing than meaningful lore. The flashback sequences, complete with blood bubbles and gurgling death throes, feel more like shock value than storytelling substance.

This is where All Fun and Games shows its limitations. It borrows heavily from better films without bringing much original thought to the table. Sure, Squid Game popularized the “deadly childhood games” narrative, but that series worked because of its character depth and social commentary. This film strips away those layers, leaving us with pretty visuals and familiar frights.

The final act attempts to tie everything together with ghostly apparitions and the revelation that our protagonists must “win” to break the curse. It’s serviceable enough, though by this point you’re mainly waiting to see which characters make it out alive rather than genuinely caring about their fates.

Similar Films to “All Fun and Games”

• Truth or Dare (2018) – Similar structure: twisted games, cursed rules
• Fear Street Part Two & Three – Better example of Salem-meets-folk horror, especially in 1666
• The Craft / Sabrina (Netflix) – More witch-centric but still not folk horror

Easy Watching, Shallow Payoffs

Credit where it’s due, this is prime popcorn horror. You can predict exactly which characters will get their comeuppance and in what order, making it the kind of film where you root for the douchebags to meet their maker. It’s horror comfort food, designed to deliver familiar thrills without challenging anyone’s worldview.

The young cast handles their roles competently, with Ainsworth particularly impressive for someone so young. The family dynamics feel authentic when they’re not being undermined by horror movie stupidity, and there are moments where you genuinely feel for these characters trying to survive their supernatural nightmare.

But ultimately, All Fun and Games feels like a missed opportunity. With Salem’s rich history, childhood games’ inherent creepiness, and possession horror’s psychological potential, there was material here for something truly memorable. Instead, we get a competently made but forgettable entry that hits familiar beats without adding much new to the conversation.

It’s the kind of film that works perfectly for a casual Friday night when you want supernatural scares without emotional investment. Just don’t expect it to linger in your thoughts much beyond the credits.

All Fun and Games is rated
2.5 cursed blades that whisper sweet nothings out of 5

Where to Stream All Fun and Games

Cast & Crew

• Directors: Eren Celeboglu, Ari Costa
• Writers: JJ Braider, Eren Celeboglu, Ari Costa
• Starring: Natalia Dyer, Asa Butterfield, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Laurel Marsden, Keith David, Annabeth Gish
• Genre: Horror, Thriller
• Runtime: 76 minutes
• Release: September 1, 2023

All Fun and Games

Director: Ari Costa, Eren Celeboglu

Date Created: 2023-09-01 20:31

Editor's Rating:
2.5

Pros

• Cast
• Production values
• Restrained gore
• Easy watch - perfect for a 'no brain' night in.

Cons

• Predictable
• Generic
• Wasted Salem and witches potential