Series 7: The Contenders
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Okay, imagine a TV show where six randomly-chosen people in a small town are supposed to hunt each other down, killing until only one is left. Do you think: A) "How disgusting! Nobody would ever produce such trash!" B) "Wow! What a scathing indictment of popular television!" C) "Hey, what time is it on?" Readers who selected "A" should bail on this review now, and go watch a rerun of "Seventh Heaven" or "Touched by an Angel." If you selected "B," there are facets of this movie you'll find intriguing. Think Shirley Jackson meets Mark Burnett, with a touch of "Days of Our Lives". Would society actually tolerate lethal mayhem in the name of televised entertainment? What would that be like? How would it affect the competitors and their families? As a piece of speculative fiction, Series 7: The Contenders doesn't wrestle with the big questions; it leaves that up to the viewer. It does capture the look and feel of contemporary reality shows, and makes blood-sport TV seem disturbingly possible. Of course, even if you find the questions interesting, you may not be drawn into reality entertainment, and this film isn't for you. The prime demographic for this movie is the reality-TV audience, especially cynical social observers who are embarrassed by their "Survivor" habit. If you said "C," you'll only be disappointed that it's fiction.
If you liked the movies below, you'll probably like this one (and visa versa):
Eight-Facet Info Rating, rated on a scale of 0 (None) to 4 (Lots!)): |