Set in a faraway future of tyrannical rule and hypnotizing video games, “Gamer” is an action film where mind control technology has been used in twisted video games. The first game created was Society, in which players control another person like a puppet, turning them into their own version of the “perfect” character, and manipulating their interactions with other characters. Slayers, the second game, has the same principle but in a shoot-and-kill setting.

The movie is based around Kable, the famous player who has survived 28 of the 30 rounds required to escape. “Gamer” presents Ken Castle, the evil mastermind behind the two games, as the key reason for such a dystopian society. However, this is later contradicted because the film claims people are volunteering to be controlled, meaning that it is not just Castle, but also the citizens of this society themselves.

Although “Gamer” has decent action scenes, they occurred so often that they became just filler between the more important scenes. The climax of the movie is strong and gripping, with Kable escaping from Slayers and breaking into Society to rescue his long-lost wife.

In contrast, the ending was fairly low-key and not anything special. The concept of this film is interesting despite its extreme inhumanity and slight familiarity. It is easy to get invested into the storyline and ideas of this particular future. The movie presents a message: do not let virtual worlds and the real world collide; virtual games should never become anything more than a pastime. Overall, despite some flaws, “Gamer” is a movie worth seeing.