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    Movie Review

    Come Play takes specter of too much screentime to the extreme

    Alex Bentley
    Oct 30, 2020 | 9:53 am
    Come Play takes specter of too much screentime to the extreme
    play icon

    It wouldn’t be Halloween without another horror movie to deliver the scares of the season. Aficionados can turn to Shudder, a horror movie subscription service, and Amazon Prime Video has partnered with Blumhouse Productions for some new exclusive movies, but the new film Come Play is the only one coming to theaters on Halloween weekend in this scary year.

     

    Set in a nondescript city/suburb, the film focuses on Oliver (Azhy Robertson), an autistic boy whose sole means of communication is an app on his smartphone. The electronics soon turn against him, though, as a creature named Larry tries to entice Oliver through a story told on the device.

     

    Oliver’s parents, Sarah (Gillian Jacobs) and Marty (John Gallagher, Jr.), are experiencing marital troubles, not least of which is their opposing ways of handling an autistic son. The creature seems to sense Oliver’s troubled home life and his lack of friends at school, using those issues against him as it tries to make its way from behind screens to the real world.

     

    Written and directed by Jacob Chase, who adapted his own 2017 short film Larry, the film uses and comments on its modern trappings well. Many parents these days worry about the amount of time their kids spend staring at screens, so having that technology not only represent evil but be evil is a clever twist. In the case of this film it’s doubly so, as the communication app is a godsend for Oliver and his parents, and having the device turn against them is extra upsetting.

     

    Modern as it is, the film also pays homage to films like Poltergeist or The Ring, with the horror coming from within the screen being watched. Chase also uses flickering lights throughout the film, a horror movie staple he employs to great effect to indicate the presence of creature. It’s a seemingly simple technique, but the way lights go out one after the other in this film is especially creepy.

     

    Whoever devised the creature and sound design deserve plaudits, as each elevates the spookiness of the film. Chase makes the right decision and only gives brief glimpses of Larry, but each time is more than enough to understand how terrifying he is. Likewise, the sound of Larry’s voice and movements are a series of creaks and pops that would be chilling for anyone, child or not.

     

    One of the biggest things the film has going for it is having Oliver as its protagonist. Even being mostly non-verbal, Oliver is a perfect proxy for the audience, as everybody can relate to being scared as a kid. When the film turns its attention toward adults being scared of Larry, it’s not nearly as effective.

     

    Appropriately, it’s Robertson who makes the biggest impact on the film. He sells every moment with the monster extremely well, and his scenes with fellow kid actor Winslow Fegley are some of the best in the film. Jacobs and Gallagher are normally reliably good, but their reactions to the threat of Larry leave a lot to be desired.

     

    While not as scary as it could have been — its PG-13 rating ensures that — Come Play is a solid outing that more than fits the bill for anyone looking for a few Halloween thrills. Just make sure to turn off your device before watching.

     

    --

     

     Come Play is playing exclusively in theaters.

    Gavin Maciver-Wright, Winslow Fegley, Azhy Robertson, and Jayden Marine in Come Play.

    Gavin Maciver-Wright, Winslow Fegley, Azhy Robertson, and Jayden Marine in Come Play
      
    Photo by Jasper Savage / Amblin Partners / Focus Features
    Gavin Maciver-Wright, Winslow Fegley, Azhy Robertson, and Jayden Marine in Come Play.
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    Water Park Fun

    Hurricane Harbor Arlington unveils sprawling new water playground

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 16, 2025 | 3:59 pm
    Splash Island at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington
    Photo courtesy of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington.
    Splash Island at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington features tons of new family attractions.

    Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Arlington, the largest water park in North Texas, has unveiled a massive new water attraction for summer 2025: Called Splash Island, it's a new water playground with 17 slides and more than 100 interactive water features such as water cannons, water wheels, dumping buckets, and spray hoses.

    According to a release, it'll make its official debut on July 15.

    The ride has a huge footprint, taking up 58,000 square feet, making it officially the largest attraction at Hurricane Harbor — so large that it replaces two previous attractions, Splashwater Beach and Surf Rider.

    Its emphasis is on family, with the following features:

    • a multi-level, 50-foot treehouse play structure
    • 17 water slides with plenty of drops and twists
    • 110 interactive water features
    • huge splash pad
    • gigantic tipping bucket carrying 1,000 gallons of water

    The tipping bucket tips over guests every 6-8 minutes. It’s the first tipping bucket of this size at Hurricane Harbor.

    Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is the water-centric sibling to Six Flags Over Texas, the iconic amusement park in Arlington. Hurricane Harbor is on the north side of I-30, across from Globe Life Field, and features more than 40 rides and attractions like Typhoon Twister and Tsunami Surge.

    Other new stuff
    Also new for the 2025 season is the reimagined Smokehouse on the Water restaurant featuring an all-new menu consisting of brisket and pulled pork and side dishes like house-made macaroni & cheese, chopped salad, and cornbread.

    Other park enhancements include new double-decker family cabanas with beach furniture, updated restrooms, themed murals, and a fresh look throughout the park.

    “Splash Island was designed with our families in mind," says Hurricane Harbor Park Manager Heather Blair in a statement. "It provides tons of fun for kids and parents alike, and a place for everyone to relax in the nearby cabanas while they savor our new food and beverage offerings.”

    Hurricane Harbor Arlington is open daily through August 10, and then on weekends through Labor Day.

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