The Game (1997)

The Game is a tangled nest of plot twists that made for a rollicking roller-coaster ride the first time I saw it and a riveting reliving of the thrills the second time. And I'll gladly watch it again. Wealthy financier Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) gets a visit from his estranged black-sheep brother Conrad (Sean Penn) on his birthday but the pair again parts with bitter words. Suddenly, Nicholas is caught up in a shadowy, convoluted web known only as "the Game" where reality proves unreal and no one can be trusted. (One scene is reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman's escape in Marathon Man.) And what about the mysterious woman named Christine (Deborah Kara Unger)? In any event, Nicholas is on the run for his life right up to the moment he crashes through a fresh perspective. Does he live? Does he get the girl? No one can tell you who or what "the Game" is; you have to experience it (and survive) to find out. 5 stars.