The Game

Right now you can watch The Game in Australia on Foxtel Now — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 7,414 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Michael Douglas's performance alone is worth the time investment. Available now on Foxtel Now — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

The Game arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The plotting in The Game is tight enough that the twists feel earned rather than assembled. In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a cold-hearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad: a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nary a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distinguish where the charade ends and reality begins. Michael Douglas and Sean Penn lead a cast that gives the tension real weight. The Game came out in 1997. What distinguishes the best crime dramas from the rest is whether the character work can carry scenes where the mystery takes a breath — The Game passes that test consistently. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, The Game delivers. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Watch Michael Douglas work — it is a masterclass in the genre. Few crime dramas earn their twists this consistently.