I'M GAME, produced by Wayfarer Films, was released in theatres this Thursday.
Plot:
Dan John, a wealthy, arrogant adrenaline junkie, treats gambling as pure mathematics. Chasing bigger stakes, he plunges into cricket betting (mimicking IPL betting) to escape crushing debts owed to a ruthless loan shark (Kalakeya Prabhakar in a small role). When his flawless system collapses on a gigantic wager, he becomes the target of a merciless betting syndicate. Fleeing them, Dan crashes his car and loses his right arm, requiring an emergency transplant to survive. As he recovers, he begins noticing strange reflexes and violent impulses he can't explain. He is now locking horns with a multi-billionaire (Mysskin).
Post-Mortem:
When its trailer was released, I'M Game was thought to be a high-concept thriller. It was thought to be a cousin of 21 (2008), The Card Counter (2021), Croupier (1998), Rain Man (1988), Tazza: The High Rollers (2006), Hard Eight (1996), or Rounders (1998). Rather, it's a cousin of movies featuring living, possessed, or independent severed hands. The Beast of Five Fingers (1946) and Talk to Me (2022) have been cited by a review.
Writer-director Nahas Hidhayath doesn't allow the premise to evolve into a thriller. He stages the film as a typical fantasy action-comedy. The comical treatment in the first half is unsettling, especially because Dulquer is not the actor you trust with humor. Suddenly, those around him play their reactions for laughs. Even the doctor explains Alien Hand Syndrome casually. A song in the background makes fun of the eccentric situation Dan has found himself in. By now, a beautiful para-medic (Kayadu Lohar) has taken keen interest in him, and her presence has made his hospital stay a dating experience. Even his quasi-psychotic behaviour starts taking a serious and consequential turn too late into the story.
The stretch where DQ grapples with his Catch 22 situation is shorn of real tension. Once the film's revenge fantasy idea is hinted at, there is nothing much to keep the viewer glued to the screen. The antagonist (played by Mysskin) is going to be a little less worse than a cardboard villain. DQ's inadequate performance only lessens the impact. The screenplay relies on such a generic medical trope that the movie settles into a bland, formulaic thriller, failing as both a smart, story-driven film and a fun popcorn entertainer.
The elaborate flashback in the second half is handled in an amateurish way. Jakes Bejoy's background score is random at places. Jimshi Khalid's cinematography is average.
Closing Remarks:
I'M Game wastes a promising high-concept premise on a formulaic fantasy action-comedy. Dulquer Salmaan’s ineffective performance, and a poorly handled second half make it neither a gripping thriller nor satisfying popcorn entertainment.
