RUNNING MAN // A FILM REVIEW OF "MOST DANGEROUS GAME"

BY MATEO MORENO

The new streaming app Quibi, created by Jeffrey Katzenberg, has officially launched, and the platform is offering a 90-day free trial through the end of the month. Prefect timing for all of us (re: nearly everyone) who's stuck at home. Each program, and they have movies, TV shows and reality television so far, offer each "episode" in 10-minute small bites, which are released one at a time daily on weekdays. One of the starry new offerings is the running man thriller MOST DANGEROUS GAME starring Liam Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz.

This high octane thriller starts off without any set-up. We meet Dodge (Hemsworth), our main protagonist as he is meeting with a business man by the name of Miles Sellers (Waltz) who runs "The Tiro Fund." Dodge is hoping that Sellers can help him out with a loan, as he is badly in need of money, with a baby on the way and Cancer treatment eating away at him. However, Sellers isn't interested in giving a loan. What he is interested in is Dodge participating in a game. The most dangerous kind of game, in fact, where he himself would be hunted by rich people who enjoy that kind of thrill. It would take place over the course of 24 hours and should he survive, he'll have more money than he could even dream of. In fact, each hour he survives, more money will automatically be wired into his account. Should he not survive the 24 hours and a hunter catches up with him, they would actual kill him and the game would be over. At first, Dodge rejects the request outright, saying he'll go to the cops. However, Dodge is a desperate man and in the end, he agrees to the insane request.

Since this is on Quibi, I've only seen the first few chapters and can't fully review the film in its entirety. But from all of the offerings I've seen on the new streamer, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is one of the strongest, anchored by the magnetic Chritoph Waltz and a very game Hemsworth. The game has just begun where I'm at so far, but I'm definitely invested and drawn in by the stylish directing of Abraham and the literal "thrill of the chase." This kind of show seems perfect for 10-minute episodes, drawing your excitement just enough to draw you into the next chapter. This is a new way to experience a thrill ride like this, and I'm completely game for it.

GRADE: B+

WRITTEN BY Nick Santora, Josh Harmon, Scott Elder, DIRECTED BY Phil Abraham STARRING Liam Hemsworth, Christoph Waltz, Sarah Gadon, Zach Cherry. NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON Quibi