'Game Over' movie review: A genuinely staged thriller
What if your life became a video game and you had only three chances to save yourself - would you be able to survive or succumb to the mortal end at the hands of the evil? Writer-director Ashwin Saravanan's Game Over is a gameplay in disguise of a film, but fortunately it's an engaging and thrilling one at that. Here's our review.
A traumatized woman is haunted by an evil power
Swapna (Taapsee Pannu) is a traumatized rape victim, who stays at home to work as a video game developer. As the first anniversary of her terrifying tragedy nears, our protagonist feels threatened by an evil power. Meanwhile, a cold-blooded serial killer, who has a thing for beheading his victims and burning the remains, is on the loose and haunts the streets of the city.
A brave film that doesn't look to please the viewer
Game Over is a brave film, to say the least. Presented by Anurag Kashyap, it, like many of his previous products, doesn't look to please the viewer. In fact, the film will make you feel uncomfortable, but it's going to be worth it.
A 'memorial ink' tattoo sets up this engaging thriller
As it turns out, Swapna has a memorial ink tattoo (tattoo ink mixed with a deceased's ashes to commemorate them). And tragically, nothing good had happened ever after she got it. Good for the film, this interesting scripting idea meets decent execution. And the result is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that keeps you engaged throughout its two-hour narrative. You're totally going to forget those popcorn!
It's a good film, that could have been great
One might call it a movie lover's greed, but when you get such an interesting premise, a potent script, and a brilliant actor like Taapsee, you end up wishing there was more to the film. The restrained story arch and somber character development leaves you unsatisfied. Which is why Game Over (despite its tremendous potential) is a good film, but could have been great.
'Game Over' relies heavily on Taapsee
Game Over is out and out a Taapsee Pannu show. Not because she is the only star the film can boast of, but because her performance is so outstanding you will take parts of it with yourself as you walk out. Consistently compelling throughout the film, Taapsee, in a sense, holds this thriller together, which could have easily fumbled.
Taapsee's performance, unconventional storytelling are worth a watch
Empowered by its courage, decent scripting, powerful execution, and Taapsee's exemplary portrayal, Game Over is totally worth your time and money. With an engaging storyline and some heart-pounding scenes, you'll not know when it's actually 'game over.' Credit where it's due, kudos to the makers for not shying away from an experimental approach and unconventional choice of storytelling. Final verdict: 3/5 stars.
