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| writer = David Ian McKendry, Travis Seppala
| writer = David Ian McKendry, Travis Seppala
| starring = {{Plainlist|
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*Gino Anania
* Gino Anania
*Megan Best
* Megan Best
*Alec Carlos
* Alec Carlos
*Nazariy Demkowicz
* Nazariy Demkowicz
* Samantha Halas
* Madison MacIsaac
* Verity Marks
* Liam Stewart-Kanigan
}}
}}
| music = Kevon Cronin
| music = Kevon Cronin
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| distributor = AMP International, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, M2 Films, Movie Cloud
| distributor = AMP International, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, M2 Films, Movie Cloud
| released = {{Film date|2023|2|7|United States}}
| released = {{Film date|2023|2|7|United States}}
| runtime = minutes
| runtime = 94 min
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
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| gross =
| gross =
}}
}}
'''''Elevator Game''''' is a 2023 American horror film directed by [[Rebekah McKendry]] and starring Gino Anania, Megan Best, Alec Carlos, and Nazariy Demkowicz.<ref name="FA">{{cite web |title=Elevator Game (2023) |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film276994.html |publisher=[[FilmAffinity]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Elevator Game (2023) |url=https://letterboxd.com/film/elevator-game/ |publisher=[[Letterboxd]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Squires |first1=John |title=‘Elevator Game’ Movie Trailer – Shudder Explores the Online Phenomenon This Halloween Season |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3774652/elevator-game-movie-trailer-shudder-horror/ |website=[[Bloody Disgusting!]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=10 August 2023}}</ref> [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] released the film 15 September 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeVore |first1=Britta |title=Take a Ride Into the Unknown With This Sneak Peek of 'Elevator Game's Opening Scene [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/elevator-game-movie-sneak-peek-opening-scene/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en |date=12 September 2023}}</ref>
'''''Elevator Game''''' is a 2023 American [[horror film]] directed by [[Rebekah McKendry]] and starring Gino Anania, Megan Best, Alec Carlos, Nazariy Demkowicz, Samantha Halas, Madison MacIsaac, Verity Marks and Liam Stewart-Kanigan.<ref name="FA">{{cite web |title=Elevator Game (2023) |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film276994.html |publisher=[[FilmAffinity]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Elevator Game (2023) |url=https://letterboxd.com/film/elevator-game/ |publisher=[[Letterboxd]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref> [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] released the film 15 September 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeVore |first1=Britta |title=Take a Ride Into the Unknown With This Sneak Peek of 'Elevator Game's Opening Scene [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/elevator-game-movie-sneak-peek-opening-scene/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en |date=12 September 2023}}</ref> Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, the film concentrates on a story about a mysterious ritual that may lead the performer into another, dark dimension.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Squires |first1=John |title='Elevator Game' Movie Trailer – Shudder Explores the Online Phenomenon This Halloween Season |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3774652/elevator-game-movie-trailer-shudder-horror/ |website=[[Bloody Disgusting!]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=10 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Whittock |first1=Jesse |title=Supernatural Horror Pic 'Elevator Game' Goes Into Production In Canada |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/supernatural-horror-pic-elevator-game-goes-into-production-canada-1235041365/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=2 October 2023 |date=9 June 2022}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==
Ryan is an intern with a group of streamers, Chloe, Kris, Matty, Izzy, and Kevin, who investigate paranormal legends. During his first day, he suggests that the team investigate a local building where a young girl named Becki is rumored to have gone missing after playing the "elevator game". He declines to tell them that Becki is his sister and he only joined the group in hopes of gaining answers through their investigation. In order to play the game, the participants must travel to specific floors in a set order, and, when they are on the fifth floor, must keep their eyes shut until the doors close. If successful, they will enter the spirit realm, but if they fail, they will be torn apart by the Fifth Floor Woman, which is what happened to Becki.
⚫
Ryan is looking for his missing sister. She mysteriously disappeared after conducting a frightening ritual popular among teenagers, called "elevator game". According to the rules, the player must enter the elevator of a multi-storey building and move through the floors in a certain order. The properly performed ritual can send the player into another, dark dimension. Hoping to find his sister, Ryan decides to follow his sister and also gets involved in this game—but he soon realizes that the Internet was right by warning about the dangers of this ritual.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Lee |title=Elevator Game (2023) Ending Explained – Is the doorway between the two worlds still open? |url=https://www.thereviewgeek.com/elevatorgame-endingexplained/ |website=The Review Geek |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref name="MI">{{cite web |last1=Renner |first1=Brian D. |title=Everything You Need to Know About Elevator Game Movie (2023): Aug. 10, 2023 - added photos to the photos gallery |url=https://www.movieinsider.com/m21976/elevator-game |website=[[Movie Insider]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The team films themselves undergoing the challenge, only to get interrupted. They also lose half the footage due to recording anomalies caused by the ritual. Kris refuses to re-do the task and suggests that they abandon the idea. Angered, Ryan reveals his identity and the knowledge that Kris refused because it would reveal his inappropriate relationship with Becki, who was underage. Disgusted, the team separates and the Fifth Floor Woman kills Kris. Izzy and Kevin perform the elevator game again and are killed by the Fifth Floor Woman. Ryan also performs the ritual, resulting in him visiting the spirit world. He is chased back to the human world.

⚫
In the office, Ryan and Chloe encounter a terrified Matty, who has also encountered the woman. Chloe discovered that the woman is the vengeful spirit of a sorority pledge Allie, who was killed by a hazing prank. The sorority had left her in an elevator shaft, where she was accidentally crushed. The only way to stop her is to repeat the ritual. The Fifth Floor Woman kills Matty. Chloe and Ryan repeat the ritual but are unsuccessful as Chloe is killed while Ryan becomes permanently trapped in the spirit world. The film ends with a social media influencer entering the elevator to make a video about the team's disappearance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Lee |title=Elevator Game (2023) Ending Explained – Is the doorway between the two worlds still open? |url=https://www.thereviewgeek.com/elevatorgame-endingexplained/ |website=The Review Geek |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=18 September 2023}}</ref><ref name="MI">{{cite web |last1=Renner |first1=Brian D. |title=Everything You Need to Know About Elevator Game Movie (2023): Aug. 10, 2023 - added photos to the photos gallery |url=https://www.movieinsider.com/m21976/elevator-game |website=[[Movie Insider]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sayre |first1=Will |title=Elevator Game Review: Cheeky Urban Legend Film Might Make You Shriek |url=https://movieweb.com/elevator-game-review/ |publisher=[[MovieWeb]] |access-date=2 October 2023 |language=en |date=15 September 2023}}</ref>


==Cast==
==Cast==
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*Megan Best as Becki Keaton
*Megan Best as Becki Keaton
*Alec Carlos as Kris Russo
*Alec Carlos as Kris Russo
*Nazariy Demkowicz as Matty Davis
*Nazariy Demkowicz as Matthew "Matty" Davis
*Samantha Halas as 5th Floor Woman / Allie McCormick
*Samantha Halas as 5th Floor Woman / Allie McCormick
*Madison MacIsaac as Izzy Simpson
*Madison MacIsaac as Izzy Simpson
Line 44: Line 52:


==Reception==
==Reception==
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|36|4.8|11|ref=yes|access-date=September 28, 2023}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elevator Game |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/elevator_game |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|47|5|access-date=September 28, 2023}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Elevator Game reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/elevator-game/ |access-date=September 28, 2023 |website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>
⚫
Nick Allen of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' stated, "“Elevator Game” is the rare Dead Teenager Movie (to borrow a phrase from Roger) that doesn't want to just bully its future victims. The doomed young adults in this Shudder title, who awaken a ghoul in an office building for the views and likes, aren't handled with cynicism—Rebekah McKendry and writer Travis Seppala support these young YouTubers and their vlogging ways. Not dunking on social media teens is a refreshing angle, enough to make you want to care about their inevitable deaths. But the movie's by-the-numbers horror will make you feel otherwise."<ref name="RE">{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Nick |title=Elevator Game movie review &amp; film summary (2023) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elevator-game-movie-review-2023 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en |date=September 15, 2023}}</ref> Phuong Le of ''[[The Guardian]]'' added, "Inspired by an online challenge that went viral nearly a decade ago, Rebekah McKendry’s second feature feels out of date from start to finish. The central game is simple: one must enter the lift of a 10-floor building and proceed to travel in a specific sequence through a series of floors, the last of which supposedly opens a portal to a dangerous parallel world. The trick here is to close your eyes, or risk being torn to pieces by a mysterious apparition referred to as “the woman on the fifth floor”. Such a scenario is ripe with potential for world-building details and creative designs, but there is little visual flair on show here."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Le |first1=Phuong |title=Elevator Game review – viral-challenge horror takes lift to another world |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/12/elevator-game-review-viral-challenge-horror-takes-lift-to-another-world |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=12 September 2023}}</ref>

⚫
Nick Allen of ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'' praised the film for its characters while also criticizing it for its flow, pointing out that "even the characters comment on how going from one floor, then up to another, then down, and then up to another, etc., is almost a joke."<ref name="RE">{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Nick |title=Elevator Game movie review & film summary (2023) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elevator-game-movie-review-2023 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |language=en |date=September 15, 2023}}</ref> Phuong Le of ''[[The Guardian]]'' was also critical, as they noted that the film's premise was "ripe with potential for world-building details and creative designs, but there is little visual flair on show here."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Le |first1=Phuong |title=Elevator Game review – viral-challenge horror takes lift to another world |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/12/elevator-game-review-viral-challenge-horror-takes-lift-to-another-world |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=25 September 2023 |date=12 September 2023}}</ref>

Tyler Nichols of [[JoBlo.com]] panned the film, citing that the characters were unlikeable and that "It’s a constant source of frustration since movies like this NEED likable characters. Otherwise, who cares who the ghost is going after?"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=Tyler |date=2023-09-21 |title=Elevator Game Review |url=https://www.joblo.com/elevator-game-review/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=JoBlo |language=en-US}}</ref> Matt Donato of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' added, "Elevator Game is better suited for horror fans who might not even consider themselves horror fans (yet)."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Donato |first1=Matt |title=Elevator Game's So-So Horror Has Its Ups and Downs |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/shudder/elevator-game-review |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=2 October 2023}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 58: Line 70:
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]
[[Category:2023 independent films]]
[[Category:2023 independent films]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]

Revision as of 08:01, 10 September 2024

Elevator Game
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRebekah McKendry
Written byDavid Ian McKendry, Travis Seppala
Produced byStefan Brunner, Ed Elbert, James Norrie
Starring
  • Gino Anania
  • Megan Best
  • Alec Carlos
  • Nazariy Demkowicz
  • Samantha Halas
  • Madison MacIsaac
  • Verity Marks
  • Liam Stewart-Kanigan
CinematographyBrad Crawford
Edited byChad Tremblay
Music byKevon Cronin
Production
companies
Buffalo Gal Pictures, Head Gear Films, Manitoba Film and Music, Metrol Technology
Distributed byAMP International, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, M2 Films, Movie Cloud
Release date
  • February 7, 2023 (2023-02-07) (United States)
Running time
94 min
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Elevator Game is a 2023 American horror film directed by Rebekah McKendry and starring Gino Anania, Megan Best, Alec Carlos, Nazariy Demkowicz, Samantha Halas, Madison MacIsaac, Verity Marks and Liam Stewart-Kanigan.[1][2] Shudder released the film 15 September 2023.[3] Based on the online phenomenon of the same name, the film concentrates on a story about a mysterious ritual that may lead the performer into another, dark dimension.[4][5]

Plot

Ryan is an intern with a group of streamers, Chloe, Kris, Matty, Izzy, and Kevin, who investigate paranormal legends. During his first day, he suggests that the team investigate a local building where a young girl named Becki is rumored to have gone missing after playing the "elevator game". He declines to tell them that Becki is his sister and he only joined the group in hopes of gaining answers through their investigation. In order to play the game, the participants must travel to specific floors in a set order, and, when they are on the fifth floor, must keep their eyes shut until the doors close. If successful, they will enter the spirit realm, but if they fail, they will be torn apart by the Fifth Floor Woman, which is what happened to Becki.

The team films themselves undergoing the challenge, only to get interrupted. They also lose half the footage due to recording anomalies caused by the ritual. Kris refuses to re-do the task and suggests that they abandon the idea. Angered, Ryan reveals his identity and the knowledge that Kris refused because it would reveal his inappropriate relationship with Becki, who was underage. Disgusted, the team separates and the Fifth Floor Woman kills Kris. Izzy and Kevin perform the elevator game again and are killed by the Fifth Floor Woman. Ryan also performs the ritual, resulting in him visiting the spirit world. He is chased back to the human world.

In the office, Ryan and Chloe encounter a terrified Matty, who has also encountered the woman. Chloe discovered that the woman is the vengeful spirit of a sorority pledge Allie, who was killed by a hazing prank. The sorority had left her in an elevator shaft, where she was accidentally crushed. The only way to stop her is to repeat the ritual. The Fifth Floor Woman kills Matty. Chloe and Ryan repeat the ritual but are unsuccessful as Chloe is killed while Ryan becomes permanently trapped in the spirit world. The film ends with a social media influencer entering the elevator to make a video about the team's disappearance.[6][7][8]

Cast

  • Gino Anania as Ryan Keaton
  • Megan Best as Becki Keaton
  • Alec Carlos as Kris Russo
  • Nazariy Demkowicz as Matthew "Matty" Davis
  • Samantha Halas as 5th Floor Woman / Allie McCormick
  • Madison MacIsaac as Izzy Simpson
  • Verity Marks as Chloe Young
  • Liam Stewart-Kanigan as Kevin
  • Adam Hurtig as Businessman
  • Darren Wall as Security Guard
  • Bradley Sawatzky as Café Bar Host
  • Hazel Wallace as Teenage Girl

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 36% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[9][10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[11]

Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com praised the film for its characters while also criticizing it for its flow, pointing out that "even the characters comment on how going from one floor, then up to another, then down, and then up to another, etc., is almost a joke."[12] Phuong Le of The Guardian was also critical, as they noted that the film's premise was "ripe with potential for world-building details and creative designs, but there is little visual flair on show here."[13]

Tyler Nichols of JoBlo.com panned the film, citing that the characters were unlikeable and that "It’s a constant source of frustration since movies like this NEED likable characters. Otherwise, who cares who the ghost is going after?"[14] Matt Donato of Paste added, "Elevator Game is better suited for horror fans who might not even consider themselves horror fans (yet)."[15]

References

  1. ^ "Elevator Game (2023)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Elevator Game (2023)". Letterboxd. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  3. ^ DeVore, Britta (12 September 2023). "Take a Ride Into the Unknown With This Sneak Peek of 'Elevator Game's Opening Scene [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  4. ^ Squires, John (10 August 2023). "'Elevator Game' Movie Trailer – Shudder Explores the Online Phenomenon This Halloween Season". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  5. ^ Whittock, Jesse (9 June 2022). "Supernatural Horror Pic 'Elevator Game' Goes Into Production In Canada". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  6. ^ Brown, Lee (18 September 2023). "Elevator Game (2023) Ending Explained – Is the doorway between the two worlds still open?". The Review Geek. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  7. ^ Renner, Brian D. "Everything You Need to Know About Elevator Game Movie (2023): Aug. 10, 2023 - added photos to the photos gallery". Movie Insider. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  8. ^ Sayre, Will (15 September 2023). "Elevator Game Review: Cheeky Urban Legend Film Might Make You Shriek". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Elevator Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "Elevator Game". Rotten Tomatoes.
  11. ^ "Elevator Game reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Allen, Nick (September 15, 2023). "Elevator Game movie review & film summary (2023) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  13. ^ Le, Phuong (12 September 2023). "Elevator Game review – viral-challenge horror takes lift to another world". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  14. ^ Nichols, Tyler (2023-09-21). "Elevator Game Review". JoBlo. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  15. ^ Donato, Matt. "Elevator Game's So-So Horror Has Its Ups and Downs". Paste. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
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