Death Games

1980

Drama / Mystery / Thriller

6
IMDb Rating 4.5/10 10 233 233

Director

Top cast

Robyn Bishop as (as Robin Bisshop)
Karen Walden as (as Karen Warden)
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
749.08 MB
1280*694
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds ...
1.36 GB
1920*1040
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Clintborari 3 / 10

Decadence Without Direction

For the little this film does well, it unfortunately lets itself down twofold through bizarre dialogue, uneven direction, and baffling decisions that repeatedly undermine its own credibility.The film's minor strength lies in its atmosphere and opening, which establish a surprisingly solid foundation. The early stretch, following Chris and Sarah, a filmmaker and an aspiring journalist, as they enter the world of Dominic, a powerful and indulgent tycoon creates an uneasy, voyeuristic tone.There's a sense that we're watching something immoral, exploitative and dangerous unfold, even if we're not quite sure where it's going yet. Even Dominic states "I let know one into my private life, not even you"The story itself quickly becomes a mess. What should be a psychological power game built around manipulation, excess, and control instead spirals into clumsy writing and bewildering decision-making. The film essentially revolves around just four core characters, and while each is distinct, they don't connect in a deep and meaningful way.The drug-fuelled, sex-and-rock-and-roll lifestyle dominates the film. Between alcohol, drugs, and hallucinogens, we are constantly forced to question what's real and what isn't, an idea that works thematically but is handled too loosely to feel intentional. Instead of disorientation serving the story, it often feels like the film itself doesn't know where it's wants to go.Visually, the yacht, and penthouse view from the terrace act as a fascinating time capsule, especially seeing the Gold Coast before it became the massive tourist destination it is today. The faded colour palette and era-specific styling reinforce the sense of decadence and decay, and in many ways the setting is more compelling than the plot.David Glendenning is phenomenal as Dominic. Almost the saving grace of the film. With his deep voice, commanding presence, and slick appearance, he perfectly embodies the ultimate sleazy business mogul. At times, though, he feels like the true lead of the film despite being the villain, and there's an argument to be made that he's slightly overexposed.Sarah brings some much-needed morality and emotional grounding, while Chris remains an unusually odd, and largely unlikable personality. Their dynamic could have been stronger, but the imbalance feels intentional, Chris being self centred and at times lacks any human emotions.Yvette is an interesting case. At times she feels more sinister than Dominic himself, yet the film never clarifies what her endgame, or her motivations are which leaves us even more confused.Unfortunately, the film completely loses credibility in its final act. Scaling from a penthouse with a garden hose, sudden trigger-happy moments on the roof that should have been emotionally impacting, and a series of random plot turns make the ending collapse completely under its own weight. The confusion surrounding Mick, why he chooses to do what he does at the end, and what it's meant to represent, only adds utter frustration. By the end, nothing feels earned, and very little makes sense.For a low-budget film, there are fleeting moments of genuine intrigue, and some of the performances elevate the material more than it deserves. But even the director's own dismissal of the film as a downright mess feels telling. Final Cut ultimately lands at the lower end of expectations, an atmospheric curiosity undone by confusion, sloppy writing, and an ending that collapses just when it needed to deliver something spectacular.3/10.
Reviewed by

Reviewed by vertigo_14 3 / 10

A tease. (spoilers)

Final Cut (aka Death Games for us Yanks) is a different type of psychological thriller, and one that, unfortunately, offered so much clever chit-chat and trickery to arouse your suspicions of the characters on the screen, but that had ended with much nonsense and relatively little bang.

This is the story of a young, idealistic filmmaker and his journalist sidekick beauty. The filmmaker is finally given approval to make a film on popular record producer, and promises to deliver to the network a production full of juicy details. His career depends on it. But, his subject never seems to cooperate and instead, enjoys toying with the couple one evening aboard a yacht when a bloodied woman appears to have fallen overboard (film which conveniently goes missing) and then later, during a weekend in the producer's penthouse high rise. There is relatively little action going on to grab your attention, aside from copious amounts of gratuitous nudity and lesbian seduction among the characters, but much of the film is purely dialog. The producer, sure to annoy the filmmaker by letting him very few details of his personal life for the picture despite expectations otherwise, just goes on and on with little suggestions of ill will and demise. But, nothing ever really happens. And in the end, if you haven't fallen asleep or otherwise, tuned out the movie, you might otherwise be confused, or dissatisfied entirely which, only artificially so, looks like a clever ending.

Deathgames had plenty of potential, although some of it being falling prey to the standards of the cat-and-mouse chase thriller, with some Hitchockian elements. But this film doesn't even offer that much. And the flaws weren't inherent in its obviously low-budget atmosphere or the acting ability of its stars (even that didn't get in the way). But rather, you're always careful to hold on the words of the character, sure that you're able to put the mystery together, but there really is no mystery.

Read more IMDb reviews

2 Comments

Be the first to leave a comment