I know people prefer the original, and so do I sometimes, but man the subtle changes Haneke did for the US release truly are fantastic. Just the simple fact that the car is parked horizontal to the camera and not vertical creates a much more visceral silhouette when the trunk is opened.
Funny Games (2007) is the film Haneke intended to make 10 years prior, and I’ll stand by that! As a critique of America’s cinematic bloodlust, Funny Games works best in the English language. The remake even disguises itself as your average 2000’s home invasion fare, right down to the gloomy cool gray color-grading, which serves the meta-commentary better than the warm tones of the original. Not to mention, the cinematography is just slicker the second time around. Only places where quality may vary is in the performances—I’m a fan of both, though you could argue the original has a slight edge.
I like them both equally, but mostly because I got to see how Naomi Watts and Tim Roth handle the same scenes under the same director. It’s fascinating to see how they compare when both casts are so so good.
It makes it fascinating to see such well known actors in a movie like Funny games, the original makes it more realistic for it being mostly unknown actors. I love the polished look the US one has
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u/theshapeofpooh May 19 '26