David Fincher's Underrated Thriller 'The Game' Lands on Criterion Channel

David Fincher’s 1997 thriller The Game has been added to the Criterion Channel, giving viewers another chance to revisit one of the director’s most talked-about yet underappreciated films. The project had been in development since the early ’90s, with names such as Bridget Fonda, Jodie Foster, Kyle MacLachlan and Jeff Bridges attached at various points before Michael Douglas signed on as the lead in 1996.

The story follows Nicholas Van Orton, a wealthy loner who accepts an elaborate birthday gift from his erratic brother Conrad: enrollment in a mysterious experience run by Consumer Recreation Services. What begins as a series of evaluations quickly unravels into deception and escalating violence as the “game” bends its own rules.

The film’s ending has divided audiences for decades.

david fincher, the game, criterion channel, michael douglas, 1997 thriller, consumer recreation, van orton, conrad, jeff bridges, jodie foster