Choose or Die (2022) Review: When Every Choice Comes With a Deadly Consequence

 

Choose or Die | 2022 | 1h 24m
Genre: Psychological Drama / Psychological Thriller / Supernatural Horror / Drama / Horror / Thriller | Country: UK
Director: Toby Meakins | Writers: Simon Allen, Toby Meakins, Matthew James Wilkinson
Cast: Iola Evans, Asa Butterfield, Robert Englund
IMDb: 4.8
My Rate: 6/10

Kayla discovers a retro game among a pile of belongings at her friend Isaac's house. With no expectations, she decides to play it, unaware that a terrifying ordeal is waiting for her—one that will change her life.

Warning:

Violence, self-harm, drugs

Synopsis

An antique collector named Hal discovers an old game called Curs>r and decides to play it. The game requires him to make a series of choices. However, the choices are far from simple, as they threaten the lives of both him and his family. Eventually, recreating the game becomes the only way to save them.

Kayla visits her friend Isaac, a computer game developer. While looking through a pile of belongings in one corner of his house, Kayla accidentally discovers a copy of Curs>r. Without thinking much about it, she takes the game and decides to play it.

Strange things begin to happen before her eyes. The game seems to know exactly what is happening to her and the environment around her, then begins presenting her with choices that lead to terrifying consequences. There is no other option but to choose—or die. Eventually, Kayla asks Isaac for help in stopping the terror.

Will they manage to defeat the game, or will they only become trapped deeper within it?

Review

When the world gives you a choice and there is no other way out, while death itself becomes the consequence, perhaps life can become something terrifying. This is the idea explored in Choose or Die (2022). Toby Meakins' feature-film debut is quite promising, although ultimately it fails to deliver complete satisfaction.

The combination of a cursed game and supernatural horror may not be a new idea in cinema. However, the retro element used in this film is quite appealing. It brings back a kind of atmosphere that has become increasingly difficult to find in recent years.

The audience is immediately confronted with an intense and horrifying situation. The disturbing static sounds and dangerous choices that become reality feel as though the film serves its main course the moment we sit down at the table. Unfortunately, the transition into the main story feels too abrupt.

The tension built at the beginning suddenly disappears. It is as if the film takes us from a great height and drops us straight into a deep ravine. The transition feels far too calm for a film that has just delivered such a tense opening.

The characters' backgrounds are also presented unevenly. Some are given enough attention, while others receive only the bare minimum. Lance, for example, is not sufficiently explained. He suddenly appears without enough information about who he is or how he connects to the story.

On the other hand, although the background of the game is only revealed halfway through the story, it provides enough information for the audience to understand its origins and the cause behind all the terror.

The internal conflict should have been the main focus of this film. The protagonist is forced to face a series of dilemmas as she makes difficult choices. However, those dilemmas are not conveyed strongly enough through the actress's expressions. The emotions that should have become an important part of this conflict feel too weak to fully place the film within the psychological thriller genre.

The external conflict also lacks impact. Lance is positioned as a threat to Kayla and her mother, but his actual function within the story never feels particularly strong. Aside from appearing several times with threats that feel somewhat empty, his presence does not create enough pressure on the story.

Nevertheless, the characters do show some development toward the end. The closing narration, which resembles the narration used by the game's creator, manages to bring back some of the tension that had previously disappeared. Although Kayla's final line of dialogue feels somewhat clichéd.

Looking at the film as a whole, its biggest weakness is that the opening is too strong while the execution that follows is considerably weaker. The tension established from the beginning is not maintained until the end, making the conclusion less impactful than it could have been. The film actually has the potential to become something much bigger.

Several elements also leave unanswered questions. At the beginning, the game appears to have been copied into several versions, yet those copies seem to disappear from the story. Only one becomes the main focus—the game eventually discovered by Kayla. Furthermore, Kayla seems to be the only person capable of reaching the end of the game.

It might have made more sense to show glimpses of several people who played the game but failed. This could have created a smoother transition from the opening scene involving the game copies to the version eventually discovered by Kayla. It might also have made the story feel more believable while showing that the game's terror had already affected many people before her.

The acting is also nothing particularly special or outstanding. At times, certain emotions do not come through strongly enough in the characters' expressions. However, this does not make the film bad.

The strengths are much more apparent on the technical side. The use of distorted static sounds and supporting music plays an important role in building the atmosphere. This is further supported by the effects used throughout the film, such as the servant eating pieces of glass, the ribbon coming out of Isaac's mouth, and water coming out of Hal's mouth. These effects look convincing and blend well into the scenes.

The close-up shots and camera movements are also handled well. These technical aspects are one of the reasons the film remains enjoyable despite its weaknesses in storytelling and character development.

Although Choose or Die still has many elements that could have been developed further, that does not make it unworthy of watching or deserving of the score of 1 that it seems to have received from many viewers. Overall, the film remains fairly entertaining, especially for those who enjoy retro aesthetics and games that bring terror into the real world.

Memorable Scene

The game brings Kayla face-to-face with her deceased younger brother, Ricky. She is then given a choice between saving Isaac or Ricky while both of them are unconscious. It is an incredibly difficult choice for her: whether to save reality or let go of the guilt she has been carrying all this time.

Human beings are never free from mistakes, and those mistakes often leave us with deep regret. This is especially true when they involve the lives of people we love. Sometimes, we wish we could turn back time or be given a second chance to make things right. Unfortunately, that is impossible. The only thing we can do to make amends is to keep moving forward and live our lives better.

Memorable Quote

"One life sacrificed so another can be saved"

 

Ending:

Cliffhanger

Recommendation:

Okay to Watch

(Aluna Uwie)