This is a solid entry for Netflix. In picking Blakeson, a mildly accomplished director with a good, albeit short track record and allowing him to thrive, its very clear indication that they’ve turned a corner as a studio.
The treat of the film both then and now is the chemistry of Taggart and Arkin as the parents. Their part of the plot is window dressing, but it’s done so well, it lifts the rest of the material.
Matthau’s line about this is better than any line in the film “I have seen it three times, and am of slightly better than average intelligence but I still don’t quite understand what’s going on. Is there a device we can use to explain to people what they’re seeing?”
Viewers won’t find premises as creative as this often in movies. Even if not explored to the extent desired, it’s still entertaining and somewhat intriguing. One just wishes that the peripheral characters held any interest at all.
The gifts that Craven had as a storyteller would not be acknowledged here, as this film made the least of the entire series. There is little accounting for taste or reaching beyond the same old stuff.
Come Play is another debut by a director who turns a successful short into something hopefully better with studio support. The results are mixed, but overall this is the kind of film one shows their kids if unsure whether or not they’re really ready for a scary movie.