Video games have changed a lot in the last four decades. You may not recall, but the earliest games on home computers were all text-based. This means that the game’s action largely took place in your imagination. In Netflix‘s upcoming horror movie, Choose or Die, a lost survival horror game called CURS>R has resurfaced. But as the first trailer for the film indicates, CURS>R has powers that go far beyond a game.
The film follows Kayla, a young woman who is a coder and a student who is struggling to put herself through school. Through her friend, Kayla learns about a $100,000 prize that has gone unclaimed since the ’80s. All she has to do is dust off a copy of CURS>R and start making choices. Unfortunately, the game seemingly has the power to rewrite reality at will. And it also seems to have a cruel streak, as even Kayla’s merciful choices lead to deadly consequences.
That’s the catch of the game. It simply can’t be won by kindness, and the players are literally forced to “Choose or Die.” Not going to lie, that’s gonna badly affect any review for the game itself. But Kayla’s biggest problem is finding a way to escape this curse without passing it on to innocent people.
Iola Evans stars in the film as Kayla, with Asa Butterfield as Isaac, Eddie Marsan as Hal, Kate Fleetwood as Laura, Ryan Gage as Lance, Angela Griffin as Thea, and Joe Bolland as Beck. Horror icon Robert Englund will also appear as himself.
Choose or Die was directed by Toby Meakins from a script by Simon Allen. It will premiere on Netflix on April 15.