That old video game you’ve been itching to play may not be worth the effort, or the risk, of digging it out of storage. In Netflix’s Choose or Die, a video game from the 1980s bends reality and forces the player to make decisions to risk someone else’s life or their own. In Toby Meakins’ feature film directorial debut, two friends playing an old video game start a series of events that they can’t stop until they finish the game or die trying, all with the hope they can claim a cash prize for completing it.

Written and produced by Simon Allen, known for The Musketeers, the trailer for Choose or Die was released on March 29, 2022. Those interested in watching the film won’t have to wait too long before seeing what happens when you play an old video game. While you wait, here’s everything you need to know before Choose or Die comes to Netflix.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Plot: What We Know

     Netflix

The plot synopsis says that Kayla (Iola Evans), a broke college student, is playing an old computer game to try and win the unclaimed prize money that comes with completing the game. Thinking it will be easy to do, Kayla starts playing the game but doesn’t realize the curse she’s unleashed. From the trailer, it looks like Kayla has lost her job, she or someone she knows is about to be evicted from their home, and she doesn’t know where else to turn. When she discovers an old video game, CURS>R (pronounced Curser), and that there is a $125,000 cash prize attached to it that’s never been claimed, it seems like the way to fix her money struggles. However, the game appears to impact reality in strange and outright dangerous ways, seemingly causing Kayla to question if the money is worth the harm she’ll have to cause to win it.

The trailer shows Kayla progressing through the game despite witnessing the consequences of her actions. Cut scenes show an individual on a tape discussing how the game works, telling the watcher that “the more the cursed suffers, the more the curser benefits,” though it isn’t clear if by “curser” he means the player or the game itself. Is this individual the maker of the game, a victim of its reality, or someone compiling research on it? Another individual, an older man, is shown playing the game, and he seems to be struggling with the choices he has to make. Is he someone that attempted to claim the prize before Kayla, or is he someone that is trying alongside Kayla?

Cast: What We Know

Iola Evans stars as Kayla, and Asa Butterfield stars as Isaac, Kayla’s friend. Netflix viewers may recognize Butterfield from Sex Education, while others may know him from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Hugo, or Ender’s Game. Evans is known for her work in The 100 and Carnival Row. Eddie Marsan (V for Vendetta, Vice) plays Hal, the other individual who also tries to play CURS>R at one point, though it isn’t clear how far Hal got in the game. Though only his voice is included in the trailer, horror icon Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) is described as playing a fictionalized version of himself, which should be interesting to see and a fun treat for audiences. Angela Griffin (Coronation Street) plays Thea, a character who appears to be a relative or friend Kayla is possibly living with when the eviction notice is served.

Kate Fleetwood (The Wheel of Time) plays Laura, while Ioanna Kimbook portrays Grace, the server seen being forced to eat glass in the trailer. Also listed as appearing in the film are Ryan Gage (The Hobbit, The Musketeers) as Lance, Caroline Loncq (The Protégé) as Maria, Joe Bolland as Beck, and Pete MacHale (The Feed) as Gabe.

Release Date

The film is coming to Netflix on April 15, 2022.

Everything Else We Know

Filming took place in April 2021 in London, with Netflix acquiring the distribution rights in July of that year. The film was originally titled CURS>R after the in-universe game but was later changed to Choose or Die, the phrase the game constantly parrots back to the player. The latter certainly has a better ring to it.

The score was composed by Liam Howlett, who some may recognize as the co-founder of the British band The Prodigy. Howlett not only writes music for the band but plays the keyboard, drum machine, and various other aspects to create the EDM sound The Prodigy is known for. Also trained in classical piano, Howlett helped form The Prodigy in 1990 and has been active in the music industry since. The music for Choose or Die is sure to have a great sound reflective of the time period the game was created with Howlett developing it.

With that in mind, tune in on April 15 to watch Kayla and Isaac take on CURS>R and see if they make it through unscathed.