The Game

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2:26

The Game

R

1997

2h 8m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) returns on his birthday with an odd gift -- participation in a personalized, real-life game -- Nicholas reluctantly accepts. Initially harmless, the game grows increasingly personal, and Orton begins to fear for his life as he eludes agents from the mysterious game's organizers. With no one left to trust and his money gone, Orton must find answers for himself.

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Critics Consensus

The ending could use a little work but this is otherwise another sterling example of David Fincher's iron grip on atmosphere and storytelling.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Jun 7, 2021

4/5

It looks stunning, with every shadowy scene seemingly dipped in ink and some rapid-fire edits balanced by more experimental touches (super slow-mo squash, anyone?).

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Jul 27, 2020

The more we invest in Nicholas' bank of experiences, the more we display our willing complicity with, even subservience to, a system that lets cocooned elites merely play games (on an urban, even international scale)

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Feb 28, 2018

The rational side of my brain can pick this movie apart until all that's left is incoherent threads. The movie-mad side, happy to lose control, had a hell of a good time.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Feb 1, 2026

4/5

…this is a far better movie than say The Killer, and better than director David Fincher thinks. If they’d kept the ending, and upped the social commentary within a bit more pointed critique of Van Orton’s lifestyle, this could have been a classic…

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Quentin Falk

Sunday Mirror (UK)

Dec 18, 2024

4/5

The plot develops into a nerve-tingling thriller of bluff and double bluff set in San Francisco.

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Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Apr 26, 2023

One of Fincher's best. [Full review in Spanish]

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tomtot S

@trextomatoe 6 days ago

Helluva a movie. Hard to explain other than props to Penn and M. Douglas, they were fun to watch. And obviously the writer/creator is fascinating.

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Anthony L

@RT86574168 Aug 29, 2026

One of the best first time watches ever but I am afraid it’s tough beyond that

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Cinema S

@cinema_sensei Aug 22, 2026

I genuinely had no idea where this was going. The whole experience kept me questioning whether what I was seeing was real, part of the game, or something much bigger. Every time I thought I understood what was happening, the movie made me doubt it again. I wasn't ready for the twist, and that ending completely caught me off guard. Some parts are a little overcomplicated, but the experience was fantastic.

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Jan J

@JANFILM97 Aug 21, 2026

Still One of Fincher’s Best The Game is the kind of thriller they just don’t seem to make anymore. Dark, clever and completely unpredictable, it takes a simple idea and keeps twisting it until you’re questioning absolutely everything. Michael Douglas is perfect as a man who believes he controls every part of his life, only to have that control slowly stripped away. Fincher’s direction is the real star, though — the atmosphere, paranoia, and constant sense that something isn’t quite right are brilliant. You can pick holes in the logic afterward, but while you’re watching, it doesn’t matter. You’re completely along for the ride. A proper psychological thriller and one I can watch again and again.

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Jack P

@filmthrill172 Aug 17, 2026

The Game is one of those thrillers that completely pulls you in and refuses to let go. Fincher creates this constant feeling that something isn't quite right, and just when you think you've figured it out, the film shifts again. Stylish, clever and incredibly well directed, with a great central performance. Even years later, it still feels original. A brilliant psychological thriller and one I can watch again and again.

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Michael F

@MikeF964 Aug 11, 2026

Saw this in the theatre nearly 30 years ago. Loved it. Fun and suspenseful storytelling. It’s all in the ending…

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David Fincher

Director

Michael Douglas

Nicholas Van Orton

Sean Penn

Conrad Van Orton

Deborah Kara Unger

Christine

James Rebhorn

Jim Feingold

Peter Donat

Samuel Sutherland

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Synopsis

Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is a successful banker who keeps mostly to himself. When his estranged brother Conrad (Sean Penn) returns on his birthday with an odd gift -- participation in a personalized, real-life game -- Nicholas reluctantly accepts. Initially harmless, the game grows increasingly personal, and Orton begins to fear for his life as he eludes agents from the mysterious game's organizers. With no one left to trust and his money gone, Orton must find answers for himself.

Director: David Fincher
Producer: Steve Golin, Ceán Chaffin
Screenwriter: Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato
Production Co: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.3M
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround

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