Choose or Die
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): April 15, 2022
3.5
USER SCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 31 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
3
Mixed:
12
Negative:
16
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
3
MetacriticOnurApr 15, 2022
bad
[ bad ]

adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
not good in any manner or degree.
0 of 5 users found this helpful05
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5
RslashAtriocApr 15, 2022
This movie isn’t bad and for the generation of gamers who grew up with stuff from the 80’s, this movie might be a good watch but for the rest of us, it felt like a industry standard horror that wasn’t anything particularly special.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
TVJerryApr 18, 2022
Two coders (Iola Evans & Asa Butterfield) discover an 80s computer game that causes all manner of vicious outcomes…not to the player, but to their unsuspecting victim. There have been numerous movies about deadly online forces, as well asTwo coders (Iola Evans & Asa Butterfield) discover an 80s computer game that causes all manner of vicious outcomes…not to the player, but to their unsuspecting victim. There have been numerous movies about deadly online forces, as well as shows that put people in potentially painful dilemmas, esp. the Saw series and most recently, Squid Game. Both of these genres are exploited here, but not with much new. One of the primary reasons to watch a thriller is for the thrills and there's no tension here. The sometimes horrifying ways that people are killed gets gruesome, which may appease those looking for sadistic violence. The story's logic veers in weird ways, which gives the filmmakers plenty of room to create whatever challenges they want. Plus, the open ending leaves it ready to exploit sequels. Even so, this premise feels more like another Netflix algorithm without much daring or original to make it memorable. BTW, Robert Englund, best known as Freddie Krueger, lends his voice to the game.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
imthenoobAug 14, 2022
A unique premise and good gore/effects are squandered by a poorly acted, poorly written movie that does nothing but makes you want to click away from this movie as soon as possible. You aren't missing anything with this one, Save yourselfA unique premise and good gore/effects are squandered by a poorly acted, poorly written movie that does nothing but makes you want to click away from this movie as soon as possible. You aren't missing anything with this one, Save yourself some time and avoid it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
jameshowlett89May 4, 2022
Just one more reason to cancel Netflix....trailer made it look promising but movie was trash
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
zerobaneApr 18, 2022
Just like Jumanji; just worse in every possible way. No charm, completely disjointed story, horrible acting and some cringe worthy gore scenes. 15mins into the movie; you can already guess the ending. The Kayla (Angela Griffin) leads aJust like Jumanji; just worse in every possible way. No charm, completely disjointed story, horrible acting and some cringe worthy gore scenes. 15mins into the movie; you can already guess the ending. The Kayla (Angela Griffin) leads a fairly slipshod performance as she has random outbursts of compassion and anger. The rollercoaster un-empathic selfish character makes you hoping she dies halfway through and is fairly unbelievable as a human.

Then they bring in Hal (Asa Butterfield); another bumbling moronic character that is completely unlikeable from scene1. Obsessive recluse dork with jokes that miss the mark in every scene. This less then stunning performance combined with a complete lack of any real centralized story makes entire thing just kind of "meh". Too bad; overall the formula could of worked; movie had a lot of potential / great setup; quickly fell flat after they introduced the main cast 10mins into film.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
domotime2Apr 22, 2022
Shockingly bad. The premise is fine. The CYOA/video game/reality bending concept is sound. Cashing in on 80s nostalgia, hey who isn't doing that these days. But these actors were D level. The writing was D level. The pacing was D level.Shockingly bad. The premise is fine. The CYOA/video game/reality bending concept is sound. Cashing in on 80s nostalgia, hey who isn't doing that these days. But these actors were D level. The writing was D level. The pacing was D level. There's no way when they watched the final edit, THIS was what made them happy.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JLuis_001Apr 22, 2022
Nonsensical scenarios are hardly uncommon in the horror genre, and Choose or Die doesn't even bother to deliver anything that works outside of those principles.

It's half-baked, boring and not scary at all, but still its approach was bothNonsensical scenarios are hardly uncommon in the horror genre, and Choose or Die doesn't even bother to deliver anything that works outside of those principles.

It's half-baked, boring and not scary at all, but still its approach was both understandable and self-sustaining despite all its limitations, so I can't understand why it tries to make sense of it by looking for a more serious explanation in its third act.
One that barely and makes sense, but I assume its creators believed the audience needed a more sinister explanation no matter how weak it felt.

But it's a Netflix movie after all.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
beebo42Apr 28, 2022
The good: The premise of the movie is interesting and the initial 30 minutes of the movie are particularly gruesome and thrilling. Also, the two main actors are great. Much better than the standard horror movie fair. I hope to see them bothThe good: The premise of the movie is interesting and the initial 30 minutes of the movie are particularly gruesome and thrilling. Also, the two main actors are great. Much better than the standard horror movie fair. I hope to see them both go on to better things.

The bad: The latter half of the movie completely drops the ball. The "choice" is no longer much of a choice at all, and the results are not particularly impressive. Also the final confrontation in the film is pathetic. All of a sudden the movie seems to go hard on trashing middle aged white men and fans of the 80's? Which is very strange considering the target audience they're aiming for.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
OrukayuJan 22, 2023
A mediocre horror movie made in 2022.

If you like to watch short horror movies, the event at the beginning of the movie was broadcast as a short movie. The beginning is impressive, as the short films hit and run in a matter of minutes. ButA mediocre horror movie made in 2022.

If you like to watch short horror movies, the event at the beginning of the movie was broadcast as a short movie. The beginning is impressive, as the short films hit and run in a matter of minutes. But as the movie progresses, it gets ridiculous and boring. To put it briefly, there is an old 8-bit game. This game offers two options to the person. The choices are either hurting himself or someone he knows. What happened at that time is really happening. An attempt was made to try a different subject, but it did not work.

The film is signed by netflix, which is the address of disappointments. No sex or nudity.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
iammoviefanApr 18, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i felt this story was very interesting at first. I'm just not that interested in the end of the story where she becomes a hero or a villain? she mastered the game but why did she happen to know coding and be good at turning the game into a murderous tool? what is the real purpose of this movie. she also left his close friends dead alone without respect for the end of his life. very disappointed… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
Stream2BigScreeApr 22, 2022
Streamers, you know I'm a sucker for a horror movie. Of course, right on cue Netflix comes out with an Easter horror flick for me, Choose or Die. It has a retro movie like a "Strangers Things"-vibe meets Saw. Doesn't that description soundStreamers, you know I'm a sucker for a horror movie. Of course, right on cue Netflix comes out with an Easter horror flick for me, Choose or Die. It has a retro movie like a "Strangers Things"-vibe meets Saw. Doesn't that description sound cool? Either way, Choose or Die follows Kayla after she finds and begins to play a lost 80s survival horror game. Kayla tries to bring this old-school game into the 21st century with her coding skills, but she unleashes a bit more than she bargained for into her life. Kayla's forced to make some terrifying choices - keep playing or die. I know you're intrigued.

The concept is pretty cool, but the execution is beyond me. There are a few other movies that have the main character choosing between the lesser of two evils. Truth or Dare is one that comes to mind. Here, just like other movies I just kept thinking, "Why and how does this thing control people?" I've watched and I still don't understand. It doesn't make sense to me why and how it controls people and things around them. I'm really confused about the ending as well. Why would this make any sense? It makes for a unique situation so I'm all for it; but, just can we make movies make sense sometimes. Sure, some may be saying that it's clearly a fictional horror movie and it doesn't need to make sense; but, I beg the differ. Add a nice 10 minutes of context into it and help this viewer out. I'm not asking for much just a bit of continuity to give the movie some believability. This movie could easily go from horror movie to I'm-not-touching-a-Resident-Evil-videogame-ever-again with a little bit of care.

Let's talk about the limited cast. The two stars do a pretty good job for what the movie is. I feel their fear and pain. What I'm really trying to figure out is how one goes from an Academy Award movie like Hugo and Ender's Game to this in the matter of 9 years. I know child actors tend to fall off but half-way through those 11 years he was in a couple other big name movies. Anyway, that has nothing to do with this particular movie. Asa Butterfield was alright for this in the fawning boy role, I guess. Iola Evans, on the other hand, while not groundbreaking, did a very good job of conveying the panic, pain, fear, etc. Needed for this role. Let's see if she gets more "scream queen" roles in the future.

With that said, for a streaming movie in April, Choose or Die gives horror fans a little bit of a fix. It's not groundbreaking, not that scary, but it definitely gets the "I'm looking over my shoulder" bug for gamers going. The movie is strangely imaginative and unimaginative at the same time. Either way, grab a bowl of popcorn for this streaming flick. Parents go home and break all of your kid's games just in case, you've been warned.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
OctaneNitroApr 24, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fall asleep? Or turn off the movie in confusion? Choose or cancel your Netflix subscription. The central premise of a cursed, text-based 80s game is pretty strong, and the first 10-20 minutes actually deliver some really intense, shocking scenes.

Then the movie just derails. Ignoring the fact that the central game has zero logic, explanation or consistency beyond "runes exist and do stuff", the movie immediately devolves into standard horror tropes we've seen a billion times before (OMG, supernatural force (TM) is using our plucky heroine's long dead brother against her!). The film's plot is also contrived and full of holes: where is the police after multiple people all but drop dead at the protagonist's feet? Who is the voice in the game? Why did the main character need to work in an empty building that just so happens to be the developer of the game? What purpose did this serve?

The movie's tone shifts so wildly from scene to scene that it leaves you with whiplash. One second our protagonist is being forced to watch a helpless waitress torture herself, the next we're.. talking about prizes and watching the main duo awkwardly flirt on the sofa? Nobody ever acknowledges the gravity of the situation or reacts appropriately, and it destroys any suspension of disbelief whatsoever.

The film's villains are also so utterly cartoonish and out-of-nowhere that they genuinely made me laugh out loud. Exhibit A: literally just some dude staring into a camera and laughing maniacally while spouting exposition. Exhibit B: that one guy from The World's End who is another victim of the game but randomly (and off camera?) becomes evil so the film can have a "thrilling" climax. Speaking of characters becoming evil, then there's the main character, who spends the entire film being terrorised by a supernatural force, only to immediately and gleefully become the wielder of said force with no second thoughts, hesitation or confliction. Yay?

Choose Or Die starts off with a glimmer of originality, only to turn into the most bland piece of low-budget, filler Netflix content you've ever seen in your life. It's a supernatural ripoff of Black Mirror with none of the societal relevance or tone that makes Black Mirror so effective. Avoid this one entirely, or better yet, play a game from the 80s that was actually made with care.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
JLauMay 22, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Girl working as a cleaner who knows a bit about coding comes across as old game that forces you to make decisions or someone dies, so she plays it and helps her drug-addicted mother escape some rats.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
ThisGuy1Apr 18, 2022
It was exactly what you'd expect - which is not a bad thing, but also not good. Nothing particularly new. Pacing was all over the place. Dumb ending. Ultimately, I felt like this was a missed opportunity on Netflix's part. Maybe I'mIt was exactly what you'd expect - which is not a bad thing, but also not good. Nothing particularly new. Pacing was all over the place. Dumb ending. Ultimately, I felt like this was a missed opportunity on Netflix's part. Maybe I'm overthinking it. But, after you already produced a Choose Your Own Adventure interactive film with Black Mirror Bandersnatch, how do you NOT make a movie called "Choose or Die" similarly interactive. I feel like this would have helped with audience immersion and given the movie some rewatch (nay, replay) value. Whereas, as it is, I don't intend to rewatch this nor would I recommend it to anyone.… Expand
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3
royalguy07Dec 19, 2022
Pretty lackluster thriller, the climax and payoff are very mild and seemingly unconnected to the rest of the movie. Also feels like a classic scenario where the studio changed the name of the movie.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
Badgerryan27Sep 17, 2022
Pretty bad. Decent idea but it kinda has already been done before and much better. Netflix swung and miss big time on this one.
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0
vamoavaliarApr 21, 2023
Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad
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