Elevator Game

The elevator is almost a horror staple as it offers writers, directors and actors the opportunity to show their skills in their disciplines in small spaces, with few people or just one. The ones that come immediately to mind are Devil, Elevator and at a push the original Cube.

Opening with a run through the ritual, the film quickly moves on from that to a group graduates vloggers, who via an online show aim to rubbish urban myths. The problem is that their sponsors are bearing down on them and they need a good story. A new recruit Ryan (Gino Anania) joins while failing to totally ingratiate with the group lobs in an idea.

That is to investigate the disappearance of a woman several years ago who played the Elevator Game. Namely ride the lift according to a specific sequence and either come to the red realm or make the mistake of taking a peek on the 5th floor and the woman on that floor will tear you to bits.

The feelings are mixed with how to liven up going up and down in a lift, that is totally overridden by the sponsors demand that a programme is shot with their logo prominent in a day or all monies pulled. Finance man Kevin (Liam Stewart-Kanigan) decides they have no option.

With varying degrees to interest they find the block and the elevator and start the ritual. A seemingly unsuccessful attempt, and the group thrown out of the building, leads to the revelation that it was Ryan’s sister who disappeared years earlier. In a huff the group go their separate ways though it soon becomes clear that something nasty was released.

A fairly routine young adult thriller, Elevator Game tries to spin something a little different. So while the sequence is performed about four times, the viewer and cast aren’t tied to the location, with the spook able to track and kill beyond that. There’s also a of bit parallel world too, but the budget by and large confines the action and the heavy use of red lights.

Director Rebekah McKendry (written by David Ian McKendry and Travis Seppala) does quite a lot with her resources and there’s some good suspenseful moments and when the spook goes in for the kill, it’s quite effective.

The cast are enthusiastic if by the numbers with the additions of Gobby Chris (Alec Carlos), Techy Izzy (Madison MacIsaac), Sensible Chloe (Verity Marks), Scaredy-Cat Matty (Nazariy Demkowicz). There’s not much in the way of character development other than Ryan, sister Becki (Megan Best) and the ghost. And they are not an easy lot to like and the film suffers when the two most likeable are killed.

This is never really dealt with and it’s not helped by the occasional leaden pace, that taken with the repetition of the lift sequence it at times looks padded.

Elevator Game will be available exclusively on Shudder from 15 September 2023.