A wealthy family vacationing in their lakeside home are accosted by two sadistic young men who plan to torture and kill them in a series of mortifying games.

Despite its name, there’s nothing funny about FUNNY GAMES US (2007). The ‘US’ was added to the title since it’s a direct remake of a Austrian film of the same name. Filmmaker Michael Haneke jumped at the chance to direct a shot-for-shot American remake of his own nerve-wracking home invasion film an entire decade later in an effort to reach a wider audience.

Rumor has it Haneke’s distaste for violence in media inspired a script in which the audience’s expectations for violence are subverted, lingering in unglamorous ways to remind them of the true horrors of brutality. It’s a very mean movie, at one point fooling you into a feeling of relief when the victim shoots her captor. But a television remote is used to rewind the scene backwards before the gunshot, the captor reminding her that she cannot break the rules.

When the Farbers arrive to their summer lake house, they run into their neighbor who acts strangely as two men assist him with his boat launch. The same two young men eventually make their way over to the Farber’s home and manipulate their way in to capture the family, leading to a tragic evening of barbaric games.

Home invasion horror always hits, prompting “this could happen” type thoughts that truly remind you of your vulnerability even when protected by the safest of spaces. So check your locks twice and stream FUNNY GAMES US.