The Creepiest Movie by Michael Haneke: Funny Games

A family goes on summer vacation… Everything looks great with a beautiful house which is nearby a magnificent lake. Then, two young men knock on the door and everything turns into a nightmare! Let’s take a look at Funny Games, the creepiest movie by master director Michael Haneke.

Who Is This Famous Director?

Michael Haneke is an Austrian screenwriter and director known for making disturbing and suspenseful films. His purpose is to awaken the audience who think of nothing but their comfort and enjoyment in the existing lifestyle. 

Michael Haneke (n.d.). (1)

Funny Games received a lot of criticism when it was released in 1997. Many of the techniques he uses in the film are unique and peculiar to Haneke. Factors such as one-shot sequences, the characters talking to the audience in person, and the disruption of the usual flow with the intervention of the director make the film extraordinary.

Everything Starts with A Vacation

The movie begins with a family traveling among the magnificent natural landscapes. A family consisting of parents and a son is on their way to the summer house. Just like other wealthy families in their social class, they prefer a quiet holiday away from the city and business life.

The family goes on vacation. (n.d.). (2)

When they arrived, they see their neighbors Eva and Fred. They also meet two young men introduced by their neighbors as guests. But some kind of unusual behavior from the neighbors makes the mother suspicious. Then, they go to their homes and immediately get to work. The mother cooks steaks for dinner, while the father and son take care of their boat. Outside the house, a calm and clear lake stretches towards the horizon.

Haneke wants to show us something in these scenes. We may find this family ultra happy and carefree that makes us a little bit envious. That’s exactly what the director wants.

Have You Got Two Eggs, Ma’am?

Suddenly someone knocks on the door. The mother, who cannot understand the constant barking of her beloved dog, opens the door unaware of everything. The young man he met the other day says he was sent by her neighbors because Eva needs two eggs. The mother accepts this request and goes to the kitchen. 

But then, the barking of the dog suddenly stops.

Two young men (n.d.). (3)

When the mother heads for the door to deliver the eggs, she realizes that the strange young man and his friend have already entered the house. When she gives them the eggs, all she can think about is the steak she will cook for dinner.

However, everything will be different than she thinks.

Funny… or Disgusting Games!

It’s too late for the mother, who realizes that the main thing is not to borrow eggs. When the whole family sits in the living room with their hands and mouths tied, we go into shock as the audience, and our admiration and envy for the family suddenly give way to panic and pity.

In these tense moments where the one-shot sequences in the movie are used extensively, Haneke gives us some messages through these two psychopathic teenagers. 

The psychological and physical tortures that lasted all night make the audience very tense. Haneke’s understanding of tension is very different from old horror and tension elements. Many describe this feeling as disgusting. This would be a torment for the audience, but that’s exactly what Haneke wants: Be aware!

Well… What Happened to the Family?

These two young men come across as pure evils and know the weak points of people. As the audience, we want to understand why a person commits this violence. One of these psychopaths responds as if he’s heard us: “You think we’re doing these because we have bad parents or childhood traumas. You want to hear that answer. No. We’re just having fun, that’s all!”

The family tries to escape countless times. They succeed once! The father unties his hand, reaches for the shotgun, shoots and kills one of them. Meanwhile, the other man holds the camera and says, “You’re on their side, aren’t you?

One of the most iconic scenes of Funny Games (n.d.). [Photo]. (4)

We can say that the whole family was murdered with the help of the director! Later, we learn that the family’s dog and next-door neighbors Eva and Fred were also killed by these two young men. When the movie is over, the duo knocks on the door of another house and asks for two eggs. And the movie ends like that.

Funny Games: A Movie or A Social Experiment

This movie is one of the most important films showing Haneke’s cinematic genius. As we mentioned earlier, the techniques he uses and the way he handles the scenes are extraordinary. Each scene, each gesture contains deep meanings. That’s why you can’t help but get goosebumps while watching the movie.

The psychopaths move into another house (n.d.). (5)

Another factor is that he chose natural tension elements rather than supernatural horror elements. What happened to this poor family is a possibility that could happen to any of us.

You can also find something for yourself in this movie, in which Haneke criticizes the gap between social classes in Europe, the negative effects of individualism or egocentrism, and human psychology. 

Funny Games will make you think like almost a social experiment!

RESOURCES & IMAGE LINKS

Cunningham, J. M. (2021, March 19). Michael Haneke. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Haneke

1. Michael Haneke. (n.d.). https://www.sensesofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Michael-Haneke.png,
2.  The family goes on vacation  (n.d.). https://i0.wp.com/filmotomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Funny-Games-1.jpg?resize=651%2C326&ssl=1
3. Two young men  (n.d.). https://filmforum.org/do-not-enter-or-modify-or-erase/client-uploads/funnygames-thumb.jpg
4. One of the most iconic scenes of Funny Games (n.d.). [Photo] https://fathersonholygore.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/fg4.jpg?w=1024
5. The psychopaths move into another house (n.d.). https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/editorial_content_posts/hero/6347-/XPLx5TlfBQY9NQychSbYWTGVPUqwKk_original.jpg