Images of Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and Bee (Maria Bakalova) tonguing in tight close-up soon give chase to a “Hurricane Party” where our nascent lovers are greeted by bodies suspended in a swimming pool like grapes in Jell-O. In fact, Jasper “Lighting By Glowstick” Wolf’s cinematography is the most ferocious aspect of this otherwise glib Gen-Z sendup of Agatha Christie. The title refers to a violent party game that begins with a slap, followed by two-faced accusations, that in no time give way to backstabbing both verbal and physical. There’s something for everyone. Climate change deniers will no doubt delight in the celebration of a natural disaster. And who doesn’t enjoy watching a group of well-heeled twenty-somethings get systematically picked off simply for being spoiled rotten? The biggest selling point in this celebration of paranoia is the film’s overall lack of redeeming characters. Imagine directed your eyes to the top of a building where a group of suicide victims stand poised to jump while you stand below cheering for the ground. And for once, a climactic sight-gag is as amusing as it is unexpected. A superb sophomore film directed by Halina Reijn whose Instinct still gives me the creeps just thinking about it. (2022) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.