Film The Game (1997) - Dir. David Fincher

[The Corinthian]

I know it's a bit random to make a thread about a movie from so long ago...but I just saw this incredible movie the other day on Netflix. It's completely flown under the radar for me in terms of Fincher's work.

Has anyone seen it?

Basic premise:

The Game is a 1997 American thriller film directed by David Fincher, starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger and James Rebhorn and produced by Propaganda Films and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. It tells the story of a wealthy investment banker who is given a mysterious gift by his brother—participation in a game that integrates in strange ways with his everyday life. As the lines between the banker's real life and the game become more uncertain, hints of a larger conspiracy begin to unfold.

The ending is a nice contrast to the bleakness of some of his other stuff (Se7en, Fight Club) etc, and it's been described as a modern day tale of A Christmas Carol in terms of its narrative.[/ISPOILER

 

[Ibi Dreams]

I watched it a while ago and it was one of the stupidest films I'd seen in years

 

[Shakesy]

I feckin loved this movie

 

[padzilla]

Great film. Douglas was brilliant in it.

 

[VP89]

Didn't love it

 

[fergiewherearethou]

I really enjoyed it back then. Good movie

 

[VorZakone]

Yeah have seen it a long time ago but don't quite remember whether I liked it.

 

[UweBein]

I watched it a while ago and it was one of the stupidest films I'd seen in years

Yep. Literally pointless.
But... the title was not ideal. It might have been a more enjoyable movie if it had a different title.

 

[Spoony]

Yep. Literally pointless.
But... the title was not ideal. It might have been a more enjoyable movie if it had a different title.

Yep. The Game was literally about a game, which was obvious throughout the film. The ending was utterly pointless.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Great film. Nothing wrong with the title either, you weirdos.

 

[Mockney]

It’s no ‘Wild Things’

 

[Vidyoyo]

Great movie. The kind that bridges the arthouse/blockbuster divide, uniting hipsters and colin's alike

 

[Rooney in Paris]

It's got a bit of a cult following actually. It's a decent enough film, but a minor one in Fincher's filmography.

 

[horsechoker]

I watched it a while ago and it was one of the stupidest films I'd seen in years

Fully agree

 

[esmufc07]

It’s a great film.

 

[The Corinthian]

Great film.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Surely it must be the best videogame adaptation?

 

[Shakesy]

There's no middle ground in this thread. You either love it or you hate it seems more appropriate than ever

 

[FrankDrebin]

Starts somewhat Hitchcockian where the film effectively carries you through the protagonists farcical and puzzling predicament and Douglas is brilliant in attracting a great deal of sympathy ,plus humour, from the audience, abit like Cary Grant to some extent.
But, as mentioned, the absurdity does get rather eye-rolling throughout many moments within the film, none more so than its finale.


Overall I cant remember whether I liked the film or not. Its not a cold film but I did feel abit empty afterwards, purely because the Game felt so exaggerated, silly and far too dangerous to be a considered game to start off with and I think that's one of the main issues certain people have with it, alongside its execution.

Oddly I also vividly remember having a particular Escher piece on my mind when viewing the film.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Brilliant movie.

 

[Old Ma Crow]

Pretty good film when I watched it years back.

 

[Cole9]

Great film. I watched this recently having not seen it for years, and the start of the film certainly seems to have influenced the opening credits of HBO's Succession...

 

[George Owen]

Great film. I watched this recently having not seen it for years, and the start of the film certainly seems to have influenced the opening credits of HBO's Succession...

Shameless ripoff.

 

[SirAF]

Ah yes, I loved it when I watched it years and years ago.

 

[The Corinthian]

The Game TV Remake: Confirmation & Everything We Know
BYDALTON NORMAN
PUBLISHED MAR 3, 2024

David Fincher's underrated thriller The Game is returning in a remake for the small screen, and Scream's Kevin Williamson is heading the project.

• Kevin Williamson is remaking "The Game" as a TV series, expanding upon David Fincher's cult classic thriller.
• No details on the story or casting have been revealed, but the project is still in development stages with Universal Television.
• Williamson's influence on the remake suggests a potentially scarier version for TV.

https://screenrant.com/the-game-tv-remake-confirmation-updates/

 

[tentan]

Didnt like it that much. Kinda confusing.

 

[The Corinthian]

Didnt like it that much. Kinda confusing.

Watch it again - it's fantastic.

 

[spwd]

Going to have to rewatch it now. Excellent film.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

Whenever I see anyone say they're confused about a fairly straightforward movie plot...

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Yeah, loved this film, back then had a mate, whenever something out of the ordinary happened to us, we would say "the game".
Should be a great tv remake.

 

[The Corinthian]

Yeah, loved this film, back then had a mate, whenever something out of the ordinary happened to us, we would say "the game".
Should be a great tv remake.

Let's buy this t-shirt:

LOGO T-SHIRT Consumer Recreation The Services Game Company Logo Sign | eBay

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Let's buy this t-shirt:

LOGO T-SHIRT Consumer Recreation The Services Game Company Logo Sign | eBay

Wait, they actually exist?

https://consumerrecreationservices.co.uk/what-we-do/

 

[The Corinthian]

Wait, they actually exist?

https://consumerrecreationservices.co.uk/what-we-do/

So I think the website was set up years ago, I remember clicking on every link after I watched the movie for the first time last year , but it doesn't really go anywhere.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

So I think the website was set up years ago, I remember clicking on every link after I watched the movie for the first time last year , but it doesn't really go anywhere.

Ah... ok, Thought it was real!
But maybe it is though, and the game already started when you pressed those links....

 

[Moonwalker]

Have not watched it in a very long time, but I remember it as one of the stupidest films I ever watched. Certainly the worst Fincher film I've ever watched.

The guy does a 2 page Likert test at the start of the movie, and then they are magically able to predict his every single move. The entire plot-line depends on them being able to do so. And then there's the fact that a banker is so wealthy he's basically able to run the Truman Show in San Francisco. The entire contrivance for the purpose of somehow making the traumatized, mind fecked, soul destroyed brother a better person. It's just too much.

No amount of good acting can redeem such a diabolical plot.

 

[DavelinaJolie]

It's a pretty decent movie, bit daft like, but the premise was fun and Michael Douglas does self-satisfied really well.

 

[The Corinthian]

Have not watched it in a very long time, but I remember it as one of the stupidest films I ever watched. Certainly the worst Fincher film I've ever watched.

The guy does a 2 page Likert test at the start of the movie, and then they are magically able to predict his every single move. The entire plot-line depends on them being able to do so. And then there's the fact that a banker is so wealthy he's basically able to run the Truman Show in San Francisco. The entire contrivance for the purpose of somehow making the traumatized, mind fecked, soul destroyed brother a better person. It's just too much.

No amount of good acting can redeem such a diabolical plot.

That's not quite what happened. His brother orchestrated it all, and by the time he did the Likert test it was already in motion. That was just part of the ruse. They knew where to be and what buttons to push because of his brother. And yes, the whole point is that he's so exorbitantly wealthy that he's out of touch with humanity hence it was to bring him back. It's basically a modern take on a Christmas Carol, and it's a fantastic movie.

 

[Moonwalker]

That's not quite what happened. His brother orchestrated it all, and by the time he did the Likert test it was already in motion. That was just part of the ruse. They knew where to be and what buttons to push because of his brother. And yes, the whole point is that he's so exorbitantly wealthy that he's out of touch with humanity hence it was to bring him back. It's basically a modern take on a Christmas Carol, and it's a fantastic movie.

Yeah, my memory might be playing tricks on me. Whether they gained the knowledge through the test, or already had it before it is not that relevant though. The fact is that they could predict his every move, to the minutest of details which is the most implausible part.

I can see the Christmas Carol parallel, though the take would surely be a post modern one as Dickens' story is already modern. Doesn't make it any better either.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Loved it when I was kid... Thought it was ingenious at the time

Now I just can't help but think... What if he had jumped off a different side of the building!?

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

It obviously does require some suspension of disbelief, especially in the third act, and even Fincher himself has admitted he wasn't happy with it. But it's still a brilliantly made film.