Come Play explores the horror of tech addiction

A solitary, non-verbal Autistic boy unwittingly invites a monster into his home when he reads the creepy children’s tale about Larry on his new iPad.

Jacob Chase’s directorial debut puts an interesting spin on the idea of technology being the conduit for an evil, menacing force. Come Play works because it plays on the metaphor of technological addiction being an all consuming menace that can only ever lead to further social isolation rather than connection.

As the film progresses Chase slowly ratchets up the suspense and intensity of the film. This allows the film to avoid resorting to cheesy jump scares and thus makes it all the more impactful when they do rarely occur.

For fans of The Ring or The Babadook this film will bring back pangs of nostalgia for those film. However, it doesn’t do a whole lot more to expand on the premise, which means it fails to leave a long lasting terror resting with the viewer.

★★ ½