Written and directed by Jacob Chase, ‘Come Play’ is an old-school monster thriller that uses isolated childhood to present a traditional ghost story highlighting concerns of bullying and excess screen time. The film is about a monster who torments a lonely child and his family through smartphone and tablet screens. And it is not difficult to see that the creature’s ways are very much like the one in the 2014 release ‘The Babadook’.
The film opens with Oliver (Azhy Robertson), a non-verbal autistic child, who communicates with the help of an application in his smartphone. Oliver is often bullied at his school for being different from others. In one of the scenes, a student even goes on to ask the class why Oliver could use his smartphone in class while others could not, to which another student makes fun by calling Oliver autistic.
His parents are on the verge of separating which makes him even sadder and lost. Though Oliver is fond of his father Marty (John Gallagher Jr.), he moves out leaving him with his mother Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) who is concerned about Oliver’s lack of development in his therapy sessions. He has never looked directly in Sarah’s eyes, despite therapies, which worry her the most.
Oliver then starts spending his evening watching Spongebob Squarepants until a children’s story called ‘Misunderstood Monsters’ pop-up on his phone where he reads about a monster named Larry who only wants a friend. Larry is a shadowy, long-limbed creature who is partly a spider monster and partly a limbed man. Oliver soon becomes aware of a presence in his bedroom that could only be seen through a smartphone. While Marty dismisses Oliver’s claim calling it a nightmare, Sarah believes that the monster is real and so does her son’s fear.
According to Jacob Chase, he has put a new twist to an old story because he knows that the old tricks still work. The film serves as an impressive, old-school production design with a simple direction. It has strong sequences of horror and suspense especially at Marty’s night job as a parking lot attendant. There are scare scenes involving app screens where at one time there’s nothing and then suddenly there is. The film builds and sustains suspense throughout with controlled camera movement, minimal lighting and unsettling sound. The most effective scene is when the camera pans around a room and lights in the background flip off one by one.
Azhy Robertson as Oliver is the heart of the film as he makes an enthralling central figure of a boy who is alone in his thoughts. His physical defencelessness is countered by the slightest suggestion that his innately secretive side makes him more receptive to sinister influences. Just the fact that he lacks the words to express what he is experiencing significantly ups the stakes.
Actors Gillian Jacobs and John Gallagher Jr. outshines in the parental roles. When Marty gets injured, Sarah is left alone to protect Oliver as all mayhem unfolds and the lumbering presence invades their house. Their contrasting manner in handling the challenges of an autistic child adds an emotional touch to the scenes.
The film delivers a strong message to all parents that they should not be so overprotective of their children as it often leads to children hiding things from them. What they should do is try and communicate more, in a friendly manner, to win their trust and the results will be remarkable.
‘Come Play’ is a cautionary tale about technology which explores what happens when technology demands something in return. It is an eye-opener for all, to consider what really would happen if we leave our children too attached to the screens of smartphones and tablets. The result might be the same, they may find solace in these screens hence, limiting direct contact with friends, family and the outside world.
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