When I was a kid, by age 7, video games were all I knew, to some degree. In particular, video games by and FOR Nintendo. However, I DO recall playing on a Sega Master System at least once, which predated the Genesis by a few years, and I knew one other kid that played video games via a computer system. What I recall about seeing that is it was nothing like the games I saw or played on Nintendo or Sega. It had a lot of text on the screen and it played at a much slower pace, by comparison.

Today, we gamers have no problem reading text, in the form of subtitles, although it is all heard by voice, like watching a movie. Needless to say, we have become quite spoiled to our technological advancements. Still, there are those of us who enjoy reliving our past experiences by either playing on the original hardware or trying out new games created in the same vein as those retro titles. I suppose it was just a matter of time before this was included into the narrative of a modern horror movie. Enter “Choose or Die.”

Right off the bat, what makes this film unique is that it is actually a British movie. So, when you see the locations as the story unfolds, as an American, you are seeing something different from the norm, which can work to make the setting more unsettling, in my view.

This happens to be the feature-length, directorial debut of Toby Meakins. It stars Iola Evans as Kayla, a struggling college student, who could use a boost for her family, and she is joined for most of the film by Asa Butterfield (“Greed”) as Isaac. He is a close friend to Kayla and likes programming video games, while enjoying the older ones, as well. Yes, there are other characters, but you rarely see or hear from them in the same breath. One other character of note is Eddie Marsan (“Charlotte”) as Hal, but he is only prominently seen at the beginning and end of the story. I would add Joe Bolland as Beck, who was effective, like Marsan, but also with limited screen time.

So, the story begins with a middle-aged man, fighting with his wife and son, who disappears into a room with his video games and embarks on a new adventure. With every choice he makes, the consequences intensify and the directions become more insistent. The results are horrific, but what became of this family? A few months later, a young woman is working a normal job by night and studying as a student by day. All se seems to have is her mother, who can barely take care of herself, and a friend who mostly keeps to himself with his games. He has heard about a game that someone completed and received a great reward, as a result. The icing on the cake, in both the movie world AND the real world, is getting Robert Englund, as himself, tied into the game. If you are being reminded of “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” or “Saw,” you are not alone, but I, personally, was also reminded of a lesser-known horror film: “Brainscan.” What can I say? Nothing is totally original anymore, is it?

Kayla, feeling desperate and, perhaps, bored, begins playing the game and right away the impact is severe. It starts with innocent people inside of a café. You have to see it to believe it. As she progresses further, people who are closer to her are affected; first her mother and then her best friend. Along the way, she is faced with her past and has to relive traumatic events and make scary decisions.

Eventually, this leads her to the family we saw at the start of the story. I cannot think of many more twisted families as of late, but was somewhat reminded of “Resident Evil 7,” of all things. The final battle is nothing short of darkly comedic and is, certainly, memorable. In the end, Kayla encounters the creator of the game and is rewarded for her efforts. “Reality is cursed.” If this is to be believed, then does this also mean that fantasy is gifted? That is the ultimate question Kayla has to answer. I think if any of us were in her shoes, we might have made the same decision, but who knows?

“Choose or Die,” as I mentioned, is not particularly original and there are some holes in some of the story details, but it still feels new, in a way, and I enjoyed it for what it is. It is not necessarily a bad thing to be reminded of other, previous movies. On the contrary, if it is reminiscent of something you liked, it is anything but bad, in my view. There were some philosophical themes that got my attention and the story was wrapped up nicely, too. If you have an appreciation for creative and graphic death sequences, you will not be let down, either. Just do not expect this entry to reinvent the wheel. That wheel is well-lubricated already. Kudos to Mr. Meakins on what a consider a solid first effort for a feature-length debut.

Director: Toby Meakins
Screenwriter: Simon Allen
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Iola Evans, Eddie Marsan, Robert Englund, Kate Fleetwood as Laura, Ryan Gage as Lance, Angela Griffin as Thea and Joe Bolland.
Music: Liam Howlett
Distributor: Netflix
Release: April 15th, 2022