British music meets cinema in a new film that offers a scathing look back at the 90s rave era. Game, a debut feature produced by Portishead's Geoff Barrow, arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 17 November, bringing with it a heavy dose of scepticism and dark humour.
A Clash of Cultures in the Forest
The film centres on a dramatic confrontation between two very different Britains. Marc Bessant plays David, a venal pillhead from the ecstasy generation whose flashbacks reveal a pattern of selfishness, including robbing an unconscious dealer and attempting to burgle his own parents.
His story begins with a car wreck, leaving him trapped upside down in a forest. Here, he encounters the wrathful Poacher, played with ponderous menace by Sleaford Mods frontman Jason Williamson. The Poacher, described as broken Britain personified, has no time for townies and refuses to help, instead launching into embittered discourse.
From Shaky Start to Folk Horror Rampage
The film's opening has been noted as shaky, spending considerable time on David's struggle to free himself from his seatbelt. The flashbacks to his life, while intended to establish character, are considered too thin to fully prepare the audience for the Poacher's arrival, which is triggered by David strangling his dog.
However, the film finds its footing in the darkly funny duel that ensues. A single, important plot development leads to a hilariously staged rampage on the forest trails that dips its toes into folk horror territory. This is where director John Minton unleashes his most ostentatious visuals, trading early impressionistic shots for a full lysergic assault, set to a wild organ version of Ravel's Boléro.
More Music Video Than Traditional Drama
While Game often feels more like an elongated music video than a fully realised drama, it is redeemed by its strident imagery and hilarious moments. Jason Williamson's performance, likened to that of Michael Smiley, is a standout, perfectly capturing the film's cynical tone.
The broader point about the self-serving nature of the ecstasy generation is firmly made. For director John Minton, this debut suggests a promising future, with enough visual flair to indicate he could successfully follow in the footsteps of music video graduates like Jonathan Glazer and Garth Jennings.
