BOTTOM LINE
Intent Solid, Thrills Minimal
PLATFORM
NETFLIX
RUNTIME
4 Hours (7 Episodes)
What Is the Film About?
Kavya and Anoop are a game-designer couple who work together at a corporate firm. After one of her interviews with a gaming portal goes viral and she wins an award later that night, Kavya becomes a victim of online hatred and is found abandoned on a beach. Meanwhile, her niece Tara’s relationship with a virtual friend takes a vicious turn. A cop, Bhanumathi, tries to connect the dots.
Performances
The performances hold the show together and make up for its execution issues at times. Shraddha Srinath is tailor-made for Kavya; the role feels like a natural extension of her persona. Santhosh Prathap, as the gentle, modern-day partner, looks assured. The choice to cast stand-up comedian Syama Harini as Kavya’s colleague is smart; she is a natural in front of the camera. Hema, Misha Ghoshal, Chandini Tamilarasan, and Bala Hasan make their presence felt in brief roles.
Analysis
The Game, a cyber crime thriller helmed by director Rajesh M Selva, is the Tamil adaptation of the popular French show Le jeu (2018). The show, centred on a game designer Kavya’s life is precisely about the hunt for a faceless gang that preys on women, but tries to provide a fair idea of what it means to be a woman to thrive and yet live in ‘survival mode’ on an everyday basis in a man’s world.
Right in the very first episode, the makers establish that Kavya is someone who isn’t afraid to talk truth to power, even at the cost of her career, online presence and personal life. She is constantly ‘advised’ to be guarded about what she talks; men from Kavya’s team don’t appreciate taking instructions from her. Back at home, her professional ambitions also create issues with her husband, Anoop.
One event after the other, Kavya’s life gradually falls apart. Her game is in the news for the wrong reasons, resulting in an accident. When the issue is resolved and she wins an award for another game the same night, tensions erupt in her marriage and lands on a beach, wounded the next morning. Her niece Tara falls into bad company and is body-shamed by her peers during her swimming lessons.
Interestingly, though Kavya and Tara are the victims in the tale, it takes a woman – a female cop Bhanumathi – to stand up for them (underlining the theme of sisterhood). With an absent father and a childhood sans a mother, life at Tara’s end doesn’t seem like a bed of roses. While working on the case too, Bhanumathi has to constantly juggle between domestic and professional priorities.
On another level, the show addresses the toxicity of social media and the need for moderation in maintaining one’s digital presence. It’s a relief to see men like Anoop exist, even in fiction – he’s unafraid to embrace his flaws, assert his stance and also lend a shoulder to a partner in times of need. It makes his character equally vulnerable, relatable and tells us why Kavya chose to marry him.
Yet, with all its good intentions – chronicling casual sexism, misogyny in the lives of multiple women across various age groups, professions – the screenplay still isn’t its strength. The creators do little to build genuine tension and anticipation in the proceedings otherwise. While nailing the quieter moments, it struggles to get the macro-aspects right.
If the idea was to keep the viewer on their toes about the identity of the perpetrators, the show doesn’t quite succeed in its quest. After all the arcs, conflicts are established; there’s no juice left in the storytelling. Not all characters are well-developed, Bhanumathi’s character sticks out like sore thumb. It’s a shame that despite laying a neat foundation for the premise, the show doesn’t capitalise on its momentum.
The Game is a mixed bag – the good intentions, timeliness of the story are undeniable, and yet it doesn’t pack a punch the way you expect it to.
Music and Other Departments?
Simon K King is not new to thrillers, so The Game doesn’t offer much scope to reinvent himself. He knows his job and he does what’s expected of him; nothing more, nothing less. The intro song showcasing Kavya’s zest for life in the first episode is a major highlight.
The cinematography by Akilesh Kathamuthu is sharp, portraying Chennai’s urbane spirit. Writer Deepthi Govindarajan localises the original material reasonably well. The drama works better than the thriller segments (which don’t offer anything new).
Highlights?
Timely story
Good performances, technical contributions
Touches upon relevant issues
Drawbacks?
Lacks zing/tension of a thriller
Not all characters are fleshed out well
Turns chaotic towards the end
Did I Enjoy It?
Only in parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you don’t mind an okayish cyber crime thriller with a feminist spin
The Game Netflix OTT Series Review by M9
