Expected more

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Simone Signoret does a great job. that is the first verdict and for a fan of French cinema , it is not a surprise. the film has a rare virtue for horrors - it is fascinating. more than scary or spectacular. using not an original idea, it is example of beautiful precision for each detail. and the play with old themes has the entire story great. a film about a visit and an eccentric family. about fears and trust and games. nothing special. but the balance between pieces, the acting, the music, the use of ambiguity as basic tool are pillars for an American movie who respects traditional European recipes. a film who could be interesting for many viewers. because not the story itself is the axis but the art of each actor. and, sure, the nuances who builds the role of Simone Signoret.

It's obvious that the screenwriters had "Les Diaboliques"(1955) in mind when they wrote this story.Simone Signoret's presence,in a part very similar to the one she played in Clouzot's film noir extraordinaire ,can't even shine for ,halfway through, you could see what she was up to from a mile off.The first scenes are pedestrian and filler and the story doesn't take off before Signoret's entrance.And even when she 's in,even with talented actors such as James Caan -who was really scary in "Lady in a cage" playing opposite Olivia De Havilland- or Katherine Ross,the suspense is totally absent.Maybe someone who does not know "Les Diaboliques" can be interested .

Peculiar thriller begins quite promisingly, but takes a curious, dispiriting turn somewhere along the way and never recoups its glory. Upscale New York couple James Caan and Katharine Ross--who enjoy warped versions of penny-arcade games and mischievous pranks--invite fragile saleswoman Simone Signoret to stay with them, which culminates in a crime. Director Curtis Harrington, who was also involved with the script, sets up an initially delicious puzzle involving the decadent rich, but allows the intricacies of the character-development to unravel in the second act. Caan and Ross appear to be very much in love--and Ross herself seems to be a pretty smart cookie--rendering a plot-twist late in the proceedings unconvincing. William Fraker's cinematography is stylish, though the action rarely ventures outdoors and one becomes acutely aware of the low-budget underpinnings (the film also has a mysteriously European feel, causing the alleged New York location to seem irrelevant--and a mismatch with the material). Good acting only takes it so far. **1/2 from ****

Stylish photography, very well acted and very well written and directed thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Katherine Ross and James Caan as the bored kinky NY couple are outstanding in one of their early roles. Made in 1967 this film was way ahead of it's time with it's themes. If you like offbeat mysteries "Games" is a game you will want to play! Hard to find on tape, not on DVD and rarely on TV. Too bad because this film is like one of those lost cinematic gems. Hopefully a DVD distributer will release in a (hopefully)widescreen. Recommend this one highly.