Playtest (2016)
Genre: Drama / Scifi
Duration: 57 minuten
Alternative title: Black Mirror: Playtest
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Stars: Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Wunmi Mosaku
IMDb score:
8,0 (61.042)
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87623 messages
- 12889 votes
Very mediocre.
Creating some fear around video games is already something they did in the 80s, the only thing this Playtest adds is... well, nothing really. Because connecting games directly to the brain is not exactly original. The technology looks a bit more modern, that's about it.
The effect is otherwise poor. Annoying main character, the horror never feels sharp or dignified (little that could realistically frighten you) and the progression towards the end is so tried and tested that you are more likely to gape than be amazed. The film has nothing of substance to say and otherwise looks fairly sterile.
What makes things like this so popular is a complete mystery to me. These types of genre films are usually unabashedly put down, but in even crazier TV form it is apparently interesting again. Apparently it is also difficult to explain, because the pages of these films often remain very empty.
Bad and boring nonsense. It's that it only takes an hour.
1.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
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- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
OK.
Once again an episode that doesn't exactly feel like Black Mirror. Indeed, this seems to be mainly a cross between a light horror film and Black Mirror. Some BM elements are clearly recognizable, but otherwise this seems to be a somewhat different film.
Russell does a fine job, but is a somewhat miscast character at times. His actions are sometimes a bit strange and that nervous laughter could have been a little less loud. The rest of the actors and actresses are okay, but nothing memorable.
The film is indeed a bit more of a horror movie this time, especially in the middle section. Shortly afterwards it starts to bump back into Science Fiction/Drama. The real Black Mirror atmosphere is especially recognizable in the beginning, with a somewhat slow but effective introduction.
Towards the end the film starts to become a bit more chaotic, but you get through it just fine. It is a bit less original, but it remains quite fun and therefore receives a passing grade.
Translated from Dutch · View original
flaphead
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- 852 messages
- 982 votes
Pretty nice. The run-up is too long, because I started to seriously wonder when the BM content came in. Well, when the 'adventurers wanted' app came up for a video game developer, it quickly became clear what the big deal would be. From there the main character also becomes just too jovial; I understand that this is to make the contrast greater with the predictable fear he is about to undergo, but it could have been less. The fun part is that you keep wondering what is real and what isn't, but it doesn't go very deep. Of course the twist - you know it's coming- is fun and they peel it off in 3 layers. To the point where it's more funny than disturbing. But the technological detail is funny, although we've seen it before.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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