“Elevator Game” may have some missteps, and may not justify its villain’s motive well, but it does have likable characters who you are interested in enough to wonder if they will survive.
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General Information
| Director(s) | Rebekah McKendry |
| Screenplay By | Travis Seppala |
| Based On | The viral game |
| Date Released (Shudder) | September 15, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 34 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Not Rated |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Kris Russo | Alex Carlos |
| Chloe Young | Verity Marks |
| Matty Davis | Nazariy Demkowicz |
| Izzy Simpson | Madison Macissac |
| Kevin | Liam Stewart-Kanigan |
| Ryan Keaton | Gino Anania |
Content Rating Explanation
“Elevator Game” contains:
- Dialog: Cursing
- Violence: Blood and light gore
- Sexual Content: N/A
- Miscellaneous: N/A
Film Summary
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
The crew of Nightmare on Dare Street are mainly made of recent high school graduates trying to avoid the well-trod road of heading off to college and pursuing something they are more passionate about. Kris is the charismatic lead, with Chloe, his researcher, Matty helps with the camera, Izzy handles editing and cinematography, and Kevin is the brand manager who secures money for the production.
Ryan is the newest addition, an intern, who, with an idea for a rather cheap video in which Kris and Chloe would play the “Elevator Game,” Kevin has them film what happens – not knowing Ryan wanted them to play this game for a personal reason.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Kris
The star of the video series, Kris, may have high energy and all that is expected from the star, but he isn’t the nicest or friendliest once the cameras are off.
Chloe
Chloe handles the research for Nightmare on Dare Street and counterbalances Kris’ persona by being genuinely nice and curious about people, mysteries, and the crew.
Matty
A little too jittery for someone who works with a team who investigates and reenacts challenges and games dealing with monsters, Matty is a nice kid, but definitely seems out of place.
Izzy
Izzy is the cinematographer, video editor, and seemingly the tech person in general who, like everyone else, is trying to make a career out of Nightmare on Dare Street.
Kevin
Kevin is the CEO of Nightmare on Dare Street, who has poured his entire savings into getting the show going, and while he is getting sponsors, being that he is new to all of this and managing the personalities he has, he stumbles sometimes.
Ryan
Originally, Ryan seems to just be an intern who wants to prove himself to the team. However, with a connection to Kris, he eventually reveals his true intentions for joining the Nightmare on Dare Street crew.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Highlights
A Genuine Interest In The Characters
While “Elevator Game” may not explore the characters to the point you become emotionally invested in who may live or die, it does enough for you to know who is who without their name being said repeatedly. Also, you are a touch intrigued about what may happen if the characters survive since, with the exception of Kris, they all seem like decent kids trying to figure a way to live their dreams without a mountain of college debt.
Gorier Than Expected
Due to “Elevator Game” being based on a viral trend (assumingly amongst a generation that isn’t mine), I wasn’t expecting much in the way of gore. Yes, it is a horror movie, but based on a trendy game? Well, I got a minor shock when blood started coming out of people’s eyes, they were gored, and we got the background of the villain, which didn’t depict how they died but gave you enough to paint a nice picture.
On The Fence
The Villain, Their Backstory, Motive, And World They Live In
Is the villain’s story something heart-wrenching where you will feel their vengeance is justified? No. While it is sad what happened to them, it isn’t necessarily explained why they now haunt one elevator or elevators around the world and kill people. Only a handful of people led to their death, so why kill many? It’s not explained, nor why the specific sequence of floors have to be done.
Never mind, what exactly is the world they live in, why does it exist, and so much more goes unanswered.
Who Is This For?
“Elevator Game” is for, like most things on Shudder, people who love horror whether it is a horror that is as elaborate as “SaW,” simple as “Slotherhouse,” or somewhere in the middle like “Elevator Game” where you can see some missteps, but overall enjoy the experience.
Recommendations
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Elevator Game (2023) – Overview
Summary
While “Elevator Game” can satisfy a fix for horror movies, it isn’t going to become one you compare anything released after it to.
Overall
-
A Genuine Interest In The Characters - 81%
81%
-
Gorier Than Expected - 82%
82%
-
The Villain, Their Backstory, Motive, And World They Live In - 74%
74%
Highlight(s)
- A Genuine Interest In The Characters
- Gorier Than Expected
Disputable
- The Villain, Their Backstory, Motive, And World They Live In