"Choose or Die" opens with a married man (Eddie Marsan) inadvertently hurting his family by playing a cursed 1980s text-based adventure game that seems to bend reality.
Fast forward three months later, and the cursed game falls into the hands of Kayla (Iola Evans) and her best friend, Isaac (Asa Butterfield).
Kayla is a working student who struggles to pay for her studies. It didn't help that her mother (Angela Griffin) became a drug addict after her brother (Kaylenn Aires Fonseca) died, and their landlord (Ryan Gage) coercing her into not evicting them from their apartment. So, upon learning that the curse game has a $125,000 cash prize, she decided to play it.
But it turns out that this is a huge mistake, as the cost of it is death.
Science fiction films are usually entertaining to watch since they do not adhere to reality. It challenges possibilities, instigates controversial conversations such as modernity and industrialization, and boldly tells stories that go beyond the norm. The subjects of it are a lot about space and technology, and the story often focuses on the effect of disturbing or exploring the unknown.
But for some reason, filmmakers begin to dry out their creativity and settle for mediocre stories. Such is the case with "Choose or Die," which, even though it has a lot of potential, doesn't go beyond the boundaries set by its predecessors. It’s the film, like many before it, that seems to only care about the cash it can take and not the art or the story or the characters at all.
It’s disappointing since the film flaunts such an interesting concept. It’s a plot-driven, reality-bending narrative that doesn’t care about the laws of physics or anything. It’s the kind of WTF film that’s designed to capture the hearts of horror fans. But even if it’s silly, "Choose or Die" has a touch of seriousness and sadness in it. Which makes it unique.
However, movies are often consumed in whole. The bigger picture of "Choose or Die" is nothing but a bunch of nonsense. It neither discusses nor expands on the topics it wants to talk about, like grief, poverty, and survival. It feels like it’s holding back, hand-tied on the usual filmmaking gimmicks to execute the story. Given its cool concept, the movie is disappointingly less bold and much more snug and safe. In all fairness, the film is willing to try things out. But not to the point that it will break the status quo.
A lot of the film's plot is pointless. The romance between Isaac and Kayla never materialized into anything substantial. And it often feels like a cheat to move the story forward. All the bits about Kayla’s little brother can be omitted, as well. It honestly serves no grander purpose other than being a distraction to the protagonist. There are plenty of other side plots that are not working, but the film’s willingness to take a second to notice them is admirable yet ultimately unnecessary.
Asa Butterfield is probably the only positive thing about this film. However, it’s a performance far from his peak. In "Choose or Die," Butterfield gives Isaac a certain degree of humor that effectively draws the viewers back into the story. He's a surprisingly relatable and fun character.
On the other hand, Iola Evans’s Kayla is not as much of a show-stealer as expected. It’s hard to say it’s a strong debut since it feels like she can go above and beyond her performance. In her defense, the script she was given does not go far enough.
"Choose or Die" is not exactly something that is worth seeing as there are far better films following the same premise like "Bandersnatch" or "Saw" or "The Ring" that deserve your attention. Films that question reality, spark meaningful debate, and tell stories in an audacious manner. Needless to say, this film lacks the characteristics of a good sci-fi and/or horror film. It makes no attempt to surprise or subvert expectations. The only success it has had is tricking viewers into thinking it cares about the characters or the story. It didn’t.
1/5
