DarkGame

For a British film especially, the writing is subpar and lacking any subtlety. It's like it was written by a 12 year old. There is a scene about a third of the way through where the large group of captives are all holding guns and 'forced' to play russian roullette while their 'captors' are standing around the room without guns, goading and mocking them. This tells you everything you need to know about this film. Why they decided to take a bunch of British actors and make them fake American accents & pretend they were in Portland USA rather than Bristol (the actual filming location) is beyond me. The end just inexplicably disintegrated into nothing.

"Darkgame" is a suspenseful ride that throws you into the murky world of online predators and hidden identities. While the film falters at times with a predictable plot that borrows from other films, it's the strong performances and intriguing characters that keep you engaged.

The story follows Detective Jacobs as he delves into a twisted online game where viewers pay to watch victims tortured. The investigation takes him down a rabbit hole of cryptic clues and shadowy figures, including the enigmatic Presenter (played with chilling relish by Andrew P. Stephen) who orchestrates the disturbing game.

Where Darkgame truly excels is in its atmosphere. The film masterfully captures the unsettling anonymity of the dark web, making you question who you can trust online. The interrogation scenes are particularly tense, with Detective Jacobs facing off against cunning suspects like Larch (brilliantly portrayed by Rick Yale), a character whose backstory hints at a deeper darkness.

However, the film's biggest weakness lies in its familiarity. The plot unfolds in a fairly predictable manner, relying on well-worn tropes of the genre. With a bigger budget, Darkgame could have delved deeper into the psychological motivations of its characters.

Here's where the film's true potential lies. Characters like Larch and The Presenter are far too fascinating to be relegated to the sidelines. While the film might not break new ground narratively, it lays the foundation for a captivating universe with untapped potential. If you're looking for a quick and suspenseful watch, Darkgame won't disappoint.

This was a confusing watch..... why they have tried to make it an American film, when the streets (with the newly introduced 20mph road markings and Bristol landmarks) and actors are clearly british, but they are putting on god awful accents, the captains uniform is something you would pick up from a fancy dress shop and even police department looks like a sadly made up job centre office.... And the plot, ummmm..... not great! Don't even get me started on the lighting, was it in the room with us? Hardly anything likeable about this movie that I was tricked into watching with it being in the top 10 on Netflix, how?

Actually more than one game! So no pun intended! Yes if that sounds familiar ... you may have ... Saw in mind! You saw it coming anyway (the pun that is). You may be tired of all the movies trying to copy Saw - and I don't think this is able to reach the heights of it ... maybe not even some of its sequels power.

That said, the movie is more than fine .... especially the main bad guy. He is having so much fun with his role ... and it shows! Even if he covers his face - I assume there may be another movie in the works - or at least planned ... maybe prequel, maybe something or rather someone else than him taking over ... maybe him - depends on the end of the movie, doesn't it? That was rhetorical obviously.

Interesting horror with some horrifying effects ... not for the faint hearted for sure ... be wary if you are sensitive ... just saying.

Firstly, this film is set in Portland Oregon but entirely shot in Bristol. It seems like all the actors are British and have to adopt American or Eastern European accents, which is clearly too challenging for them as everyone sounds ridiculous. Just make the film British and the dialogue won't sound so forced and awkward. Secondly it's a pretty poor execution of a tired idea. Full of silly montages of people "working" and no character development so you don't really care what happens to any of them. Sometimes films get made and you wonder how. Like, who said yes to this?

Give it a miss I think..