Imagine ‘The Ring’, but with a video game.
We have all felt that a video game took over our lives when we became addicted to it, but… what if a video game really took over our real lives, and with deadly consequences for those around us?
‘Choose or die’ has arrived on Netflix if you fancy something bloody to accompany your torrijas this Easter. The horror film stars newcomer Iola Evans, who plays Kayla, a young college dropout who is broke, and because of that she feels tempted to play the obscure computer game CURS>R from the 1980s with the promise of a $125,000 prize.
It doesn’t take long before he ends up facing a series of terrifying challenges that sneak into reality, which means getting the prize is the least of his worries. Teaming up with her friend Isaac (Asa Butterfield from ‘Sex Education’), Kayla tries to uncover the secret behind CURS>R before being faced with an impossible decision to make..
Similar to Netflix’s ‘Metal Lords’, released last week, ‘Choose or Die’ takes familiar elements and blends them into an effective whole. Even the most casual horror fan will see the influences behind the film.but, if they are well used, you can forgive the obvious.
We’ve already had horror movies about video games and technology that affect reality, like ‘Stay Alive’ or ‘Pulse’. ‘Choose or die’ takes those precedents and puts them a hint of ‘The Ring’ where, instead of a videotape, the curse is contained within a 1980s adventure game where every choice you make affects someone you know.
It also adds some nostalgia to the mix, but with a more avant-garde twist by focusing on the dangers of looking back on the supposedly Halcyon Days. “Guys like me aren’t allowed to be the fucking hero anymore?” one character laments, prompting Kayla to reply, “Fuck the 80s.”.
However, crucially, the film retains a sense of fun despite the increasingly twisted situations Kayla finds herself in. It’s a throwback to 80s horror, even with a voice cameo from Robert Englund from ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’. You may be in tension, but you will also be entertained.
Despite the presence of Asa Butterfield, who is fun in the role of best friend nerd which he could probably play in his sleep, the film belongs to Iola Evans. It’s a successful feature film debut, grounding the fantastical story pieces with genuine feelings of terror and emotion at moments where it would have been easy to improvise.
They make an attractive couple, and Tellingly, the strongest piece of ‘Choose or Die’ comes when it focuses on Kayla and Isaac, in a hair-raising sequence set in a disused swimming pool.. The other choices Kayla is faced with lead to some disturbing imagery, like a waitress being forced to eat a glass, but they lack the punch that the pool scene has.
And that’s what happens with ‘Choose or Die’ as a whole. It is entertaining and fulfills the premise of “What would you do in this situation?”, but ends up being too mild for its own good. Kayla gets the widest dramatic arc in the film and still ends up being pretty one-dimensional, while the secrets of CURS>R are unfunny revealed in a big climax-breaking exposition.
There’s still a lot to like in ‘Choose or Die’ for horror fans, but it’s not likely to be a memorable movie.. A final scene promises a more morally complex sequel, should there be one, and leaves you wishing that similar risks were taken during this movie, too.
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
