Funny Games

film by Haneke [1997]

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Funny Games is a 1997 Austrian film directed by Michael Haneke. The movie depicts two young men who sadistically torture a vacationing family for sport. Haneke's intention was to critique popular horror entertainment by refusing to include titillating thrills or moments of catharsis in the grim narrative. The film's controversy helped expand Haneke's international audience. He later released an English-language remake in 2007. The film is distinct from violent video games, which have their own history of controversy and rating systems.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Michael Haneke
With Funny Games (1997), in which two young men sadistically torture a vacationing family for sport, Haneke offered a scenario evocative of popular horror entertainment. His refusal to leaven the grim narrative with titillating thrills or moments of catharsis, however, signaled a deliberate critique of Hollywood…
Read More
With Funny Games (1997), in which two young men sadistically torture a vacationing family for sport, Haneke offered a scenario evocative of popular horror entertainment. His refusal to leaven the grim narrative with titillating thrills or moments of catharsis, however, signaled a deliberate critique of Hollywood…
Read More