Blame the Game review: Is the Netflix movie worth watching?

A still from Blame the Game (Image via Netflix)

Netflix has released a new German comedy-drama Blame the Game on July 12, 2024, which seems to echo themes of the wildly famous Game Night, but has put a few offbeat additions to the same. The German-language drama follows Pia (Janina Uhse) and Jan (Dennis Mojen), a new couple who end up on the brink of break-up after a strange, strange game night.

The synopsis of the movie, as per Netflix's official site Tudum, reads:

"Jan is deliriously happy with his new love, Pia. Everything is going perfectly until she invites him to a game night with her friends. What was planned as a casual get-together escalates drastically – and when Pia's ex shows up, a crazy competition breaks out in which everything is suddenly at stake."

While this is not a piece of cinematic genius in any way, it packs a punch that does not really make it a terrible watch. In fact, it comes up with a few surprises of its own, and despite the messy but predictable ending, is a solid watch for anyone who is a fan of the genre.

Blame the Game takes a familiar premise but has just enough surprises to keep it interesting

Blame the Game begins with Pia and Jan's butterfly phase and it is instantly evident that something is going to go sideways very soon. With the movie not trying to mask its intentions from the start, it soon introduces the premise of a game night taking place at one of Pia's friends' houses.

However, as the movie progresses and we delve deeper into the game night, things start to escalate quickly and not in a good way for the characters. There are some bizarre games and some equally bizarre ways to play them. But what makes things much more interesting comes at around the half-hour mark.

We are introduced to Matthias (Stephan Luca), who also happens to be Pia's ex-lover, and that is when things take a turn for the worse for Jan. What follows is a series of misadventures, where it seems Matthias is constantly trying to emasculate Jan and make him feel like an inferior being, while Jan tries his level best to outdo the competition and especially punch above Matthias' level, in a jealousy-filled contest.

Blame the Game fails to perfectly balance tension and comedy

There are certain elements in this competition that will appeal to slapstick comedy enjoyers, including a game of table tennis between Matthias and Jan, in which they play naked. Moreover, the loser has to down a bottle of hot sauce, adding to the stakes.

Many such tiny elements and bizarre contests take up the bulk of Blame the Game's runtime, and what comes out of it is satisfying, if not immensely gratifying.

The movie also explores themes of tension in the relationship when it is revealed that Pia had kissed Matthias just before she and Jan made their relationship "official." These themes play well into the finale of the story, which lets down a bit with the predictable reconciliation.

There are elements in the relationship between Pia and Jan that remain unexplored in the end, which does seem to pinpoint modern relationships and their problems but is not particularly satisfying for viewers.

This also points to the fact that the movie ultimately does not balance tension and comedy very well together, leading to a less-than-desirable ending.

All in all, Blame the Game is a good entry in Netflix's large catalog and is not distasteful in any way. Even if it is not the most creative movie around, it is still very watchable for fans who are willing to not dig too deep into the premise.

Blame the Game is now streaming on Netflix.

Edited by Sourav Chakraborty