The Game
Movie, 1997, The '90s, Set in A birthday present
The Game is #3 of 13 in release order and #3 of 13 in chronological order in the David Fincher.
The story
In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a cold-hearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad: a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nary a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distinguish where the charade ends and reality begins.
The Game recap
The Game (1997) follows Nicholas Van Orton, a San Francisco banker whose brother gives him a strange birthday present: a live game that takes over his life. David Fincher directs. Michael Douglas plays Nicholas, who is turning 48, the age at which his father jumped from the roof of the family mansion. Sean Penn plays his younger brother Conrad, who gives him a voucher from Consumer Recreation Services. Nicholas takes hours of tests at the company's office, then is told he has been turned down. That night a clown dummy turns up in his driveway and a newsreader on his TV starts talking to him. Small humiliations escalate into real danger. He meets Christine (Deborah Kara Unger), a waitress who is part of the game, is chased by dogs, and ends up in a taxi rolling into the bay. Conrad claims CRS is after him too, and Nicholas begins to suspect the company is a front for stealing his fortune. The Game is Fincher's third feature, made between Se7en and Fight Club.
The Game ending explained
The Game ends with Nicholas, robbed, dumped in a Mexican cemetery and believing his money gone, forcing his way into the real CRS offices and taking Christine hostage on the roof. She insists it is all still the game. When the door opens he shoots the first man through it, Conrad, carrying champagne, and in horror jumps off the building, only to land on an air bag in a ballroom where his birthday party is waiting. Conrad is alive. Christine, whose real name is Claire, invites him for coffee.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Game has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Game
The Game isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.7/10, Rotten Tomatoes 77%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Se7en, before Fight Club.
- Chronological order: after Se7en, before Fight Club.
Cast
- Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton
- Sean Penn as Conrad Van Orton
- Deborah Kara Unger as Christine
- James Rebhorn as Jim Feingold
- Peter Donat as Samuel Sutherland
- Carroll Baker as Ilsa
- Anna Katarina as Elizabeth
- Armin Mueller-Stahl as Anson Baer
- Charles Martinet as Nicholas' Father
- Scott Hunter McGuire as Young Nicholas
- Florentine Mocanu as Nicholas' Mother
- Elizabeth Dennehy as Maria
Directed by David Fincher.