Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Come Play Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 23, 2021

While Come Play’s story may not play as in any way plausible, the film builds on an all-too-horrific, and for many parents perhaps all-too-relatable, foundation. The film, about a monster that crosses the boundaries between the physical and digital realms, exists in a world where digital technology and devices are more than prevalent – they’re an essential glue in the social landscape (whether they should be is up for debate) – and have essentially become virtual babysitters, capable of entertaining young (and increasingly younger) children with endless hours of content. While the parents are at work, cooking dinner (maybe even while eating dinner), the child is glued to the screen, all but shutting down and shutting out the world around him or her. Come Play, from Writer/Director Jacob Chase, pits one special needs family against against a monster with motivations that run more parallel to humanity than not, its focus a young boy who both enjoys, and needs, his screen time.

One day, mute, autistic Oliver (Azhy Robertson) finds “Misunderstood Monsters: A Children’s Story” displayed on his cell phone, a phone which for him is not simply a toy or a convenience but rather a vital social tool that allows him to more effectively communicate through digital verbalization of basic thoughts and words. As he curiously tabs through the dark story’s digital pages, lights dim in the house and, eventually, the power goes out. Oliver comes to believe that there’s a presence in the house, that the story’s monster, Larry, is fighting to escape its digital confines and enter into the flesh-and-blood realm. It’s not long before Oliver’s fatigued, feuding, and financially strapped parents, Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), realize that Oliver’s fears are fact. The family finds itself battling for its very soul against a monster that uses technology to take what it desires.

The movie’s strength is in it story, not its scares. Chase certainly builds a serviceable Horror front, albeit with familiar stock genre components, but his film is more effective at commenting on a slew of issues that mankind faces in today’s enveloping digital realm, chiefly loneliness and the lack of physical interaction with others. The film also hints at the loss of humanity in those key developmental years that’s a result. Oliver is not a boy completely addicted to his devices. For him, technology is a necessity, the means by which he communicates. But at the same time, he is in many ways shut out from the world. He doesn’t interact well with his peers, he struggles to learn, and even his relationship with his parents is not as it should be. Sometimes his technology is the only thing bringing him into the world, even if it’s isolating him from it at the same time. Chase doesn’t make too much of a point to comment so deeply on digital addiction and the contrasting positives and negatives screen time has in today’s society, but he opens up enough avenues for thought to make the movie doubly satisfying as both societal mirror and Horror experience.

The film’s Horror beats lack vision and originality but they’re certainly stylish and atmospheric and sometimes even intense, even if the film can’t find its own identity in its scary scenes. Rote as it may be, the craftsmanship is good on both ends of the camera – the acting is strong and the creature effects, some digital and some seemingly practical, are a highlight – and the film builds towards and executes some legitimate scares, combining music, visuals, and emotions to effective, heart-racing result. Azhy Robertson turns in a good performance as Oliver. The young actor is charged with building character and advancing story without speaking. He’s very expressive in the eyes, which is a major help in conveying the terror he experiences both with the monster and within his social circles at school. He’s well supported by Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. as his parents.

Come Play Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Come Play's 1080p transfer is a delight. The digital shoot delivers a hearty image, one that is certainly noisy at lower light, and as the camera is focusing on phone or tablet screens or using their cameras as a POV it can go densely noisy. Overall, it does deliver quality details around houses and schools and particularly in faces and clothes. Close-ups show all of the usual digital HD intimacy audiences have come to expect, revealing fine skin and fabric details with format-peak clarity. The picture is certainly at its best in bright light but it holds sharp and well defined in lower light, too, particularly when lights flicker, characters hide under blankets or the bed, or at Marty's night job at a toll booth. Colors are well saturated with full, healthy flesh tones and abundant color around the house and on clothes, again superior in bright light but holding strong in lower light, too. Black levels are vital to the film's atmosphere and, aside from those tablet/cell phone POV shots where they're understandably flat and washed out, they offer excellent depth and shadow detail. Beyond the noise there are no other source flaws of note. There are no serious encode issues, either.

Come Play Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Come Play's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is very effective. Music ranges from stringy highs to deep and dense and sometimes even rumbly lows, holding definition through the range and really finding its footing at the bottom where the deep Horror cues prove wonderfully engaging and making full use of the subwoofer to maximize impact. It is utilized in support of both the musical cues and also for added dreaded emphasis on other effects throughout the film, like banging doors. Atmospherics are nicely integrated throughout, offering precise placement and movement at many different times throughout the film. Surrounds carry plenty of activity here and in music and front-and-center sound effects, too. Dialogue clarity, positioning, and prioritization are all excellent.

Come Play Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Come Play contains no supplemental content, even though the menu layout suggests there may have been some planned or at least considered; the entire right column, where Universal generally places them, is a glaring blank canvas (or perhaps, this menu system is a one-size-fits-all). No DVD copy is included but the studio has bundled in a Movies Anywhere digital copy code. This release ships with a slipcover.

Come Play Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Come Play is a better movie watched from its narrative and thematic perspectives than it is its Horror notes and cadence because the latter is very familiar in sight and sound. Director Chase builds a capable genre front but his film is more rewarding in the prism of how digital technology advances, but also interrupts, the human condition. Chase often favors narrative subtlety but ensures there's a rich subtext for audiences willing to explore beyond the core story beats and Horror elements. The film could have said more but it's certainly effective, if not crudely, as both social commentary and Horror experience. Universal's featureless Blu-ray delivers quality video and audio presentations. Recommended.