Our take
An insightful documentary that profiles several video game developers who have eschewed mainstream opportunities in order to pursue their dreams of self-employment and independent game production. The film follows four developers over the months, days and hours leading up to looming launch dates for their creations, and captures many of the difficulties and anxieties therein. It’s an incisive peek inside the minds and hearts of four incredibly talented individuals, providing a unique perspective on their creative processes as well as their individual motivations, vulnerabilities and aspirations. You don’t need to be a gamer or have ever purchased a game console in order to enjoy this one — it’s a far more universal depiction of hard work, resiliency and accomplishment that virtually any viewer is bound to appreciate.
What it won
Sundance
1 win · 1 nom
The story
Follows the dramatic journeys of video game developers as they create and release their games to the world. It's about making video games, but at its core, it's about the creative process, and exposing yourself through your work.
Elsewhere
"The pic scores big points by drawing a sharp distinction between corporate vidgame programmers and indies."
— Rob Nelson
The details
Who picked it
Jamie Rutherford is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, with film reviews spanning a wide range of genres and eras. Their work on the site has covered titles from Behind the Candelabra to Last Days in Vietnam to Love is Strange.
