Two coders (Iola Evans & Asa Butterfield) discover an 80s computer game that causes all manner of vicious outcomes…not to the player, but to their unsuspecting victim. There have been numerous movies about deadly online forces, as well as shows that put people in potentially painful dilemmas, esp. the Saw series and most recently, Squid Game. Both of these genres are exploited here, but not with much new. One of the primary reasons to watch a thriller is for the thrills and there’s no tension here. The sometimes horrifying ways that people are killed gets gruesome, which may appease those looking for sadistic violence. The story’s logic veers in weird ways, which gives the filmmakers plenty of room to create whatever challenges they want. Plus, the open ending leaves it ready to exploit sequels. Even so, this premise feels more like another Netflix algorithm without much daring or original to make it memorable. BTW, Robert Englund, best known as Freddie Krueger, lends his voice to the game. 
(2.5 / 5)
