Forgotten Friday Flick – “13: Game Of Death”
For those up for some sick and twisted fun via a past foreign film it’s time to get your game face on – welcome to Forgotten Friday Flick! Today’s we’re heading to Thailand to highlight a film so cool, so sick and so utterly shocking that it promises to be an exciting cinematic experience you won’t forget. Broke? No job, no girl and no hope? Score some luck and play…13: Game of Death.
Down on his luck salesman Phuchit Puengnathong is having a really bad day; he’s lost his car, his job (thanks to a conniving co-worker!) and his girl and it’s not even noon. But at his lowest a strange phone call comes in on his cell with an unusual proposition – take part in a game show involving thirteen stunts and win cash. The first few stunts are easy; swat a fly here, make some kids cry there. Though soon the stakes (and money!) become higher and the meek businessman finds himself questioning his own moral decisions in the name money. Plus the tasks start to become familiar to Phuchit, like he’s seen them somewhere before….
That’s as far as the above description goes, as keeping the story direction a secret is just as important as not revealing all of the mysterious thirteen stunts themselves. And what an array of demented and eye-opening assignments they are indeed, with the film playing like a heightened version of Fear Factor complete with comedy, action and even substance thrown in for good measure. Part of the beauty of 13: Game of Death is you never know what poor Phuchit is going to be asked to do next. The missions may sound easy, but as the money gets higher, the stunts get even more daring, disgusting and eventually turn bloody as hell. Adapted from a cult comic-book series and flawlessly staged for the big-screen, director and co-writer Chookiat Sakveerakul delivers handsomely, stocking his fun frenzied little flick with the best trait you can ever give a movie – unpredictability.
Plus as the down on his luck Phuchit, leading man Krissada Sukosol gives one frenetically memorable performance, as he goes from simple mild-mannered office worker to crazed and driven madman – it’s a real work of acting art. (As is the weirdo homeless character played by Suthon Wechkama in the bus stop scene – or was he even an actor?!) His everyman pain and plight are utterly relatable and makes for a game player who is easy to root for.
Being distributed by fright film genre label Dimension Extreme back in 2008 was a double-edged sword for the savory 13: Game of Death. On the one hand the film got to see the light of day in the US, but on the other it was remade into a tame and lame forgettable American version that I won’t name. I implore fans to stay pure and seek out the original complete with subtitles and all. So much more then just a mere horror flick, 13: Game of Death one finely crafted and psychologically disturbing experience that’s only surpassed by the fact that underneath all the guts and gore it’s actually a very well thought out thriller – let the games begin.
Jason Coleman
I'm a passionate and opinionated film critic/movie journalist with over 20 years of experience in writing about film - now exclusively for WhySoBlu.com. Previous sites include nine years at Starpulse.com where I created Forgotten Friday Flick back in 2011, before that as Senior Entertainment Editor for The213.net and 213 Magazine, as well as a staff writer for JoBlo.com. My other love is doing cool events for the regular guy with my company Flicks For Fans alongside my friend, partner and Joblo.com writer James "Jimmy O" Oster. Check us out at www.Facebook.com/FlicksForFans.
