Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Language, nudity, drinking in forgettable German romcom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Blame the Game
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Jan (Dennis Mojen) and Pia (Janina Uhse) meet at a park and fall quickly in love in BLAME THE GAME (Spieleabend). Pia ups the stakes on their budding relationship when she invites him to game night with her best friends. But even she doesn't expect things to go quite so wrong over the course of the evening, from a lost prized bird to an inappropriate ex to awkward revelations. Can the couple withstand the drama?
Is It Any Good?
An uninteresting romance takes a back seat to clumsy comedy in this German film. The biggest problem with Blame the Game is that it's very hard to care much about any of the characters. The two leads have some attraction in the film's brisk meet-cute setup, but once the action switches to an ensemble cast of largely unlikeable characters in improbable scenarios, it loses steam. It's hard to believe any adult would put up with friends like these, and the men especially behave like children. Just because you can script it doesn't mean viewers will buy it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about which couple scenarios feel more and less realistic in Blame the Game—Pia and Jan, Pia and Mat, Karo and Oliver, Sheila and Zora?
Do you feel there are some aspects of the film particular to German culture? How would the film be different if it were set somewhere else, say in Tokyo or New York?
Why does Pia get angry with Jan after the ping-pong match? How did Jan's behavior change?
How does this compare to other romcoms you've seen?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 12, 2024
- Cast : Dennis Mojen , Janina Uhse , Anna Maria Mühe
- Director : Marco Petry
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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