FILM REVIEW GATLOPP (2022) DIRECTED BY ALBERTO BELLI

Gatlopp (2022)
Written by Jim Mahoney
Directed by Alberto Belli


Review by: Mark Walker
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Jumanji meets Escape Room. It’s going to be one hell of a game. Four friends reunite for game night to forget the trauma of adult life. With mischief, booze and mayhem on the cards, are they playing the game or is the game playing them? With their lives on the line, the group must face their inner demons by the time the sun rises or be forced to play the game for eternity. Written by and starring Jim Mahoney (Klaus), Gatlopp: Hell of a Game was directed by Alberto Belli and also stars Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy, Blacklight) and Jon Bass (Baywatch).

Signature Films and Signature Entertainment presents Gatlopp: Hell of a Game on Digital Platforms June 27th

I had fun watching Gatlopp, and a lot more than I thought I would, so I’m an idiot for pre-judging it. While I didn’t find myself roaring with laughter, I still enjoyed the interplay between the characters and the jeopardy of the game.

So, I went into Gatlopp with low expectations. I hadn’t heard of it before I got the screener but, when I saw Emmy Raver-Lampman’s name (she’s great in Umbrella Academy) and noticed it was written by Jim Mahoney who also worked on the screenplay for Klaus, my interest was piqued.

(Just as a side note - Klaus may be a Christmas movie but, if you haven’t seen it, check it out!)

Gatlopp follows Paul (Mahoney) as he deals with his pending divorce by temporarily moving in with old friend Cliff (Jon Bass) to get himself together and back on his (single) feet. Cliff is the goofball party-guy of their friend group and he secretly invites Sam (Raver-Lampman) and Troy (Sarunas J. Jackson) over in an attempt to get everyone drunk and forget about their troubles. This is a group of friends who have fallen out of touch and drifted apart over the years; is this a chance to get the old team back together?

As the drinking intensifies, Cliff produces an old boardgame “Gatlopp” that he found stashed in his newly acquired credenza. Skipping the full rule book (because that’s BORING!) they settle down to play, and this is when the shit hits the fan. Like Jumanji, Gatlopp is not a game to be entered into lightly. Freaked out by impossible events they re-read the instructions and discover they will be doomed to play the game for eternity if they do not finish before dawn.

As they play, Gatlopp forces them to face up to the past, their own shortcomings, and their strained relationships as they learn to be less self-centred and shake off the lies and pretence holding them back from being better people.

Gatlopp definitely riffs on Jumanji and the concept of playing a game that you really aren’t in control of. As a comedy-horror, it ups the ante a little in terms of the impact of not playing the game correctly and the stakes are definitely higher but, ultimately, it is the same experience; board pieces moving on their own, the game being in control and real things and people magically manifesting along the way.

At the end of the day, Gatlopp is a simple film, and the characters go on fairly predictable journeys. They laugh together, argue, fight and make up, until they finally end up stronger, wiser, and better friends. And that is fine. Sometimes I like simple.

That does not necessarily mean bad.

And Gatlopp isn’t.

I was pleasantly surprised watching this one. While it isn’t “laugh-out-loud” funny (to me, YMMV of course) it is amusing in places and the main quartet were likeable enough. Yes, as the film progresses, we find out past secrets and cold hard truths, but none of them are truly horrible people, they’ve just lost themselves along the way somewhere, and I did find myself rooting for them.

And that is why Gatlopp works better than you might expect for a film that is, in concept, not particularly original. The four friends work well together, their performances are great and there is some fun dialogue. The “tricks” the game plays on them are inventive and different and, while the ending is predictable, it is satisfying enough and comes with a little teaser to suggest a sequel could work.

And I, for one, would be here for that.

And, at just 80 minutes, it packs a lot into a tight package that will never outstay its welcome.

I had fun watching Gatlopp, and a lot more than I thought I would, so I’m an idiot for pre-judging it. While I didn’t find myself roaring with laughter, I still enjoyed the interplay between the characters and the jeopardy of the game. Gatlopp would make an admiral, light-hearted coda to a movie marathon alongside Jumanji and Game Night.
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Go on, roll the dice, and take a chance.

THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR PROMOTION ​