GOD: Game of Death Blu Ray Review (Darkside Releasing)

GOD: Game of Death is a 2017 horror thriller co-written/directed by Sebastien Landry (Dakodak, Polyvalente, Un Parallèle Plus Tard, and Chantier 53) and Laurence Morais-Lagacé (Barbada, Un Show Blizzard Signé Coeur De Pirate, La Fin Des Faibles, and Pat Le Chef). It was co-written by Edouard H. Bond (La Chienne) and Philip Kalin-Hajdu (Bury the Devil, Island Rhythms, and Mom). It was executive produced by Mathias Bernard (Skal: Fight for Survival, Contagion of Fear, Snow Angel, Aquaslash, Skinford franchise, and The Village Green) and Benoit Beaulieu (Turbo Kid, Radius, Bury the Devil, The Sacrifice Game, Aquaslash, Imelda franchise, and Les Nôtres). It grossed $8,120 worldwide during it’s limited theatrical run. Seven friends which includes Tom (played by: Sam Earle from Degrassi franchise), Beth (played by: Victoria Diamond from Blood and Treasure), Mary-Ann (played by: Catherine Saindon from The Handmaid’s Tale), Tyler (played by: Erniel Baez from Cross), Ashley (played by: Emelia Hellman from Bellevue), Kenny (played by: Nick Serino from Cardinal), and Mathew (played by: Thomas Vallieres from Tactik) uncover a mysterious board game that traps them in a lethal ultimatum: kill 24 people or die. A ticking clock threatens to make their heads explode if they refuse. The group is isolated in a very small town, they must choose between turning on each other or slaughtering innocent strangers to beat this curse. As the hours slip away, morality erodes, paranoia spikes, and survival drives them into a brutal, unpredictable spiral of endless violence and madness!!!! GOD: Game of Death kinda feels like a mix of Battle Royale and Jumanji. A group of friends decide to play a mysterious game and it backfires on them instantly. Their fun gathering soon turns into a living nightmare with not much escape possible for these unlucky teenagers. Game of Death was directed by the duo of Sebastien Landry and Laurence Morais-Lagacé, I’ve never heard of either one before this but this was a nice first impression. This is an independent French horror feature that was done for both the American and Canadian audiences. The script knows what it’s doing with it’s main characters. Several of the young friends are very annoying and unlikable from the jump so you kinda root for their demise. Some of them really change it up later on. It’s an interesting combination of horror, humor, dark, and suspense. It has every cliche when it comes to teenage/millennial roles. There’s a stoner, douchebag, meathead, uptight, and some beautiful women that they kinda keep a mystery until it all explodes for the friends. Victoria Diamond really shines as the sharp minded Beth. She doesn’t really reveal herself much towards the beginning but as the situation gets much worse, she shows her true colors. She really surprised me in Game of Death, I wasn’t expecting that type of role in this. Catherine Saindon as Mary-Ann is the complete opposite. She’s put in a tough and uncomfortable spot but she manages to come out better when the odds are stacked against her. While most of her group is losing it, she wants to do the right thing despite her life being on the line at any time. Sam Earle as Tom and Erniel Baez as Tyler are the other two from the friends that really make an impact. Both have completely different personalities and reactions to the Game of Death. The rest of the supporting cast includes Emelia Hellman, Nick Serino, Thomas Vallieres, Jane Hackett (Sirens), Neve Leblanc (Moose), Natalie Darbyson (Fatman), Donny Falsetti (Mafia Inc), and Leslie Baker (Arrival). GOD: Game of Death has so much gruesome violence and nasty kills. I thought the special fx could have been a little better to be honest but it still works here, lots of brutal explosions. It’s body count rivals any slasher film. That’s not a shocker considering the curse can’t be broken unless 24 people are killed so it really elevates this crazy concept. It has a tense and paranoid atmosphere to it, no one is safe. It’s really funny for how dark it is, it has an excellent balance to it. One of the noticeable flaws for Game of Death is that just doesn’t have kind of budget and it really shows in certain departments. I think it would have been even better with some additional help. Regardless, I haven’t seen anyone talk about this and it’s been out since 2017 so that’s wild. It really flew under the radar, it caught me off guard because it was much better than expected. I enjoyed it’s finish and it teases at a possible sequel which would be awesome but I don’t think it’s happening because it’s already been almost 10 years. This deserves more attention, it’s currently streaming on Tubi so check it out sometime. RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation from Darkside Releasing! This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer looks very good for it’s home video debut in the states. Like I said before, Game of Death is a little cheaper than your typical lower budget production but it still has it’s quality visual moments especially it’s a variety of locations during all of the madness. It has a English: Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The audio is actually great for this one, all of those thrilling scenarios are amped up here. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the chaos is elevated, and the music has a big boost to it. The only extras were the “Trailer” for GOD: Game of Death and the “Trinity Trailer Reel” on the home video release from Darkside Releasing. It’s a professionally made on demand BD-R. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!