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In a 2014 interview with Playboy, director David Fincher expressed regret for making The Game, his 1997 thriller starring Michael Douglas. The film came just two years after his breakthrough with Se7en and two years before he would make the controversial cult classic Fight Club. It’s easy to see why Fincher might have regrets; The Game doesn’t have the same level of cultural cachet as the films in which it’s book-ended. But Fincher might also be too harsh. The Game holds up as a thrilling and intense ride that builds on Fincher’s previous work and shows flashes of the greatness that propelled the rest of his career.
‘The Game’ is a Twisty Psychological Thriller
In The Game, Michael Douglas plays Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy businessman who has isolated himself from his friends and family. On his 48th birthday, his brother (Sean Penn) gifts Nicholas with participation in a mysterious game that inserts itself in his life in strange and dangerous ways. Nicholas finds himself unable to trust anyone or distinguish between real life and the game. His only help is a mysterious woman played by Deborah Kara Unger, who might be in on the entire thing. The deeper the conspiracy goes, the blurrier the line between the game and the real world becomes.
The script by John Brancato and Michael Ferris was a twisty psychological thriller that seemed like it could be a down-the-middle hit for Fincher, who was coming off the success of the ultra-bleak Se7en. But while the director liked the convoluted plot, he brought in screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker to make Douglas’ character more cynical. Played with despicable oiliness by the actor, who was at the height of his career playing rich slimeballs, Nicholas is a wealthy man whose success has driven him from others. On the cusp of his 48th birthday – the same birthday on which his father committed suicide – he finds himself despondent and alone, and much of The Game’s emotional tension comes from whether Nicholas’ participation in the conspiracy will destroy his life or serve as a twisted therapy, an idea Fight Club would also explore.
The hallmarks of a Fincher film were set with the grimy and psychologically devastating story of Se7en. But The Game introduces a sense of dark humor that flows through much of his later work, from Fight Club through Gone Girl and The Killer. The rug is continually pulled out from under Nicholas in increasingly outlandish ways; just when he thinks he’s gained the upper hand, it’s revealed he’s been in the clutches of this sinister company all along. The film is sleek and dark, and Fincher peppers the conspiracy with haunting flashbacks to Nicholas’ father standing on the roof of their home, filmed as if they’re a home movie from hell. It’s both a visceral ride and an effective psychological thriller, both of which have been hallmarks of Fincher’s work.
‘The Game’s Third Act Sets the Stage for What Comes Next
In the interview with Playboy, Fincher stated that his wife encouraged him not to make The Game and that he was disappointed with the final product:
“And in hindsight, my wife was right. We didn’t figure out the third act, and it was my fault, because I thought if you could just keep your foot on the throttle it would be liberating and funny.”
Fincher protests too much. Yes, the final act of The Game is absurd – it’s a series of reversals and reveals that continuously upends Nicholas’ comprehension of what’s real and what’s conspiracy, ending with an action that has seemingly fatal consequences and literally sends Nicholas off the edge, only for reality to twist again one more time and end the film on a darkly comic and cathartic note. It’s unrealistic and one too many twists for the audience to believe, but that’s the entire point. It’s a ride, and it works as long as it’s not thought about too much.
The Game’s themes of trauma and healing don’t really stick, and for a director fond of last-minute twists, Fincher is right that the film is not his finest hour. And yet, it’s still a thrilling ride, and the outlandishness of its final twist is enjoyable for viewers who get on its wavelength. It’s entertaining and fun, even if it lacks the weight or technical prowess of Fincher’s other films. It’s a good time, even if it’s not a great film.
‘The Game’ Is Worth Playing
The Game’s reality-shifting plot feels like a rough draft for the mindbending twists that would appear in Fight Club, the pulse-pounding suspense of Panic Room, and the dark humor and potential autobiographical subtext of The Killer. It’s an early film that’s already filled with the thematic interests and tactical pleasures Fincher would perfect over the course of his career. It’s easy to see the seeds of greatness peppered throughout this early movie. Fincher’s too hard on the movie. It would be a fun entry in any director’s filmography; the fact that it’s one of his lesser films is not a knock on The Game but a testament to how great his career has been.
The Game is available to rent or buy on VOD services in the U.S.
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