David Fincher‘s mind-bending thriller starring Michael Douglas, The Game, will start streaming on a new platform in October, giving fans of the genre a new opportunity to revisit one of the best-crafted movies of the ’90s. The film will stream for free on Tubi starting October 1.
Featuring Douglas in an outstanding performance, The Game tells the story of lonely and wealthy man Nicholas Van Orton, who receives a unique birthday present from his brother. Conrad gives Nicholas the opportunity to participate in a game that will change his life. Though Nicholas is skeptical, he accepts and goes through the initial evaluation. Soon, everything changes for him — truly, a life-changing experience. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of the film:
Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) returns on his birthday with an odd gift — a participation in a personalized, real-life game – Nicholas reluctantly accepts. Initially harmless, the game grows increasingly personal, and Van Orton begins to fear for his life as he eludes agents from the mysterious game’s organizers. With no one left to trust and his money gone, Van Orton must find answers for himself.
The Game was director David Fincher’s follow-up after landing a massive emotional blow to audiences with 1995’s Se7en. With The Game, he had double the budget, a Hollywood legend’s presence, and the trust of the studio. Arriving at the right tone wasn’t easy, and the screenplay went through multiple rewrites. Nevertheless, Fincher was able to complete his original vision.
Originally released in September 1997, The Game matched critics’ expectations. Today, it has a Certified Fresh label and sits at a 77% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 84%. However, the film failed to make a dent at the box office. It only grossed $109.4 million against its significant $70 million budget, and consolidated Fincher as one of those modern filmmakers who prioritizes artistic ambition over more accessible plots. He continued his career with Fight Club, another cult movie that proved his worth as a notably complex storyteller.
‘The Game’ Has One of Cinema’s Best Plot Twists (But We Can All Agree It Could Have Been Better)
The following paragraphs have spoilers for The Game.The Game is a thrilling experience that has aged very well. However, one of the details about it that has always divided audiences is its ending. Many would think that for a film that treats its characters so relentlessly, The Game would land the final blow with a tragic conclusion. However, this doesn’t happen; instead, the movie ends on a happy note.
The final twist is great, with the whole plot being revealed to be an elaborate and twisted game. But it’s weird that the masterminds behind the game are able to predict Nicholas’ final desperate reaction. When it’s revealed that everything that happened to him was part of the plan, Nicholas believes he kills his brother and jumps off a building. But it doesn’t end there.
As he falls, and the audience members gasp when realizing what the game has come to, Nicholas lands on a huge air mattress. His friends, and the actors who participated in the game, welcome him into his own party. Even Conrad is shown to be alive, as Nicholas was using a gun that only had blanks. How they could have predicted this calls for debate, but it’s a pretty straightforward resolution for a movie that could have had a darker and bleaker conclusion.
- Release Date
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September 12, 1997
- Runtime
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128 Minutes
- Writers
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John Brancato, Michael Ferris
