The Game (1997)
What do you get for the man who has everything...?
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.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 12 September 1997 |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller, Mystery |
| Director | David Fincher |
| Starring | Michael Douglas, Sean Penn and Deborah Kara Unger |
| Runtime | 129 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.4/10 · Metacritic 63/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 77% · IMDb 7.7/10 · TMDB users 7.6/10 |
| Budget | $48 million |
Where to watch The Game
We could not find The Game on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy The Game on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Game in 34 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Austria | Prime Video €8.99 |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| Burkina Faso | Prime Video |
| Cameroon | Prime Video |
| Canada | Netflix $18.99 CAD |
| Chad | Prime Video |
| Congo - Kinshasa | Prime Video |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Prime Video |
| Denmark | Viaplay 159 kr DKK |
| Equatorial Guinea | Prime Video |
| Finland | Viaplay €13.99 |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Germany | Prime Video €8.99 |
| Ghana | Prime Video |
| Iceland | Viaplay 799 kr ISK |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Kenya | Prime Video KSh560 |
| Madagascar | Prime Video |
| Malawi | Prime Video |
| Mali | Prime Video |
| Monaco | Max |
| Mozambique | Prime Video |
| Niger | Prime Video |
| Nigeria | Prime Video ₦2300 |
| Norway | Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Senegal | Prime Video |
| Seychelles | Prime Video |
| South Africa | Prime Video R79 ZAR |
| South Korea | Wavve ₩10900 |
| Sweden | Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
| Tanzania | Prime Video |
| Uganda | Prime Video |
| Zambia | Prime Video |
| Zimbabwe | Prime Video |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
David Fincher directs a 129-minute thriller where a successful banker receives a gift that strips away his control. Michael Douglas plays Nicholas, a man so cold he cannot tell a choreographed prank from a genuine threat. Sean Penn is the brother behind the scheme. The film hinges on the discomfort of a world where every friendly gesture might be a trap. It is a tense look at what happens when a loner is forced to rely on people who may not have his best interests at heart. The rules change, but the paranoia stays.
What the critics said
Critics generally liked the game, even if they didn’t play it by the rules. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 77% approval rating as of January 2026, based on 64 reviews. Metacritic sits lower at 63 out of 100 as of October 2025, a score that signals generally favorable reviews. The consensus leans on atmosphere over plot holes. Janet Maslin of The New York Times noted Fincher’s finesse in playing to paranoia. Not everyone agreed. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone found the attempt to cover up plot holes strained.
How it did with audiences
The Game cost $48 million and took in $110 million worldwide. That is not a blockbuster, but it is not a disaster. It is a film that paid for its own sandwiches and then bought the popcorn. On TMDB, users rate it 7.6 out of 10. IMDb shows a 7.7/10 weighted average as of March 2026.
What came next for the cast
Michael Douglas went from gritty crime dramas to playing alongside superheroes. Sean Penn traded noir for fantasy. James Rebhorn moved from blockbusters to family comedies. Deborah Kara Unger stayed in the horror lane, just a different kind. These shifts did not happen because of The Game. They happened because Hollywood needed them.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Game.
Sources
- The Game on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q723187 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Game (1997 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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