Gatlopp’s goofy take on horror gives the Jumanji genre a new adult spin

polygon.com:

Let’s get it out of the way early: Gatlopp is a terrible title for a horror movie. It’s probably meant to be an intriguing tease that makes viewers wonder whether “GATLOPP” (sometimes styled in all-caps) is an acronym, a specific reference, or the onomatopoeia for some particularly horrific, messy act of violence. (“Shuddering, Lance turned away rather than watch as the gelatinous alien monster ingested the other half of his fallen comrade with a wet, echoing gat-lopp.”) Instead, it sounds silly and thudding at the same time, like a neologism someone made up while drunk and keeps trying to force on soberer friends.

But while the movie is just about as ridiculous as its title (in full, Gatlopp: Hell of a Game), it lands a lot better. A micro-budgeted adult take on the likes of the magical board-game stories Jumanji and Zathura, Gatlopp puts its central group of angsty young professionals through the wringer, effectively turning Truth or Dare into a high-stakes game of fessing up to deep secrets and potentially friendship-ending lies. It’s appropriately goofy given the premise and the structure, but a brisk pace and a committed cast turns it into a diverting indie horror-movie spin on a familiar gimmick.

The action is built around a drinking game that amiable bar promoter Cliff (Jon Bass) finds in a used credenza and forces on his reluctant friends. High-profile TV producer Samantha (Emmy Raver-Lampman) and struggling wannabe actor Troy (Sarunas J. Jackson) have both reached points in their lives where they’re ready to move on from the party-hardy days when they were all devoted besties. But Cliff wrangles them into a get-together to support their old friend Paul (Jim Mahoney, also the screenwriter and an executive