Series 7: The Contenders was a victim of timing; it was conceived of before Survivor, but came out after. So, instead of a parody of what shows may become, it ended up as a satire of what shows already are. This sends the message better, but it makes it feel like a copycat film. An almost scary film to watch; in the absence of blood and firefights, it's the paucity of fighting that draws you in, the interviews and flashbacks (all engineered for the television audience, of course) leaving you unprepared for the ultimate gun shots. And hearing a single pop of a gun in this movie chilled more than anything did in most horror or action films. It did its job well, but I felt the end fell apart. Up until the end, it felt a bit similar to Battle Royale (2000), though both movies have their own style and methodology.
In the end, with the people cheering on the killing, and looking on not in shock, but in awe that the camera is on them, this may be targeted more against the culture that creates such reality programming, rather than the program itself. 7/10. (Marked down for poor ending and slightly too long; marked up for great performance by Brooke Smith).
In the end, with the people cheering on the killing, and looking on not in shock, but in awe that the camera is on them, this may be targeted more against the culture that creates such reality programming, rather than the program itself. 7/10. (Marked down for poor ending and slightly too long; marked up for great performance by Brooke Smith).