Nemesis Game
Tags: murder, flashback

Plot synopsis:
This movie is a very good thriller, for the most part. Just cryptic enough, most of the riddles are easy enough to figure out, though some of them hard enough you run out of time if you don't pause the movie. But the biggest mystery of all is the ending, which could be seen as a continuation of the theme of the movie, or it could be seen as a case of a writer running out of good ideas. In the end, it does mirror one of the first riddles presented, as what it delivers IS the answer to that riddle. In doing this the film comes full circle, which OUGHT TO be very satisfying. However, because of what the ending DOES you, the excellent plot doesn't matter, when the movie ends you are left with the same thing as you are in real life when you die.Sara Novak is a college student whose mother died in a car accident. She is haunted by her inability to understand why such random tragedies happen, and when she stumbles upon a game that promises to provide the answer, she plays along. The Nemesis Game is played by following a series of riddles left to her by anonymous people, if you solve the riddles you are led to an abandoned building, and when you solve the final riddle and write the answer on the wall, you will see the "Design"' of life and understand why bad things happen. Sara meets a group of people who are involved in the game, and eventually reaches the end of it. However, she doesn't get a chance to write HER answer on the wall. But it doesn't matter, she receives the same thing as everyone who reaches this stage i life, and she personally experiences the central metaphor of the Game; That life itself is a game, you play your part, and then you die. There IS no understanding other than that, and as most people do realize at some level "In life also there IS no understanding, life is about NOT understanding but going on living anyway". And what IS the surprise ending that is finally delivered that wraps up the otherwise excellent plot? What ARE you left with as an explanation to the twists and turns of the movie? It's the answer to the riddle "what do the poor have, the rich want, and God fears?"'Nothing'

Review: Instead what I found was a movie that kept me guessing until the very end.
The film has a superb ending and good acting all the way around.
The 'Nemesis Game' as it comes to be called is supposed to end with one final riddle.
This very unique plot and inventive ending leave you wanting to know more of story at the end.
At the end it leaves you saying 'wow.'  This film is highly recommended..
This is one of the movies that keeps you glued to your seat till the end by weaving too many plot webs but in the end fails miserably to provide some interesting climax.
'Nemesis Game' has a decent basic plot, taut suspense, an interesting central character...
The movie somehow reminded me of the Jude Law starred 'Existenz' but far less efficient in making a story come around.
Director Jesse Warn tries hard to give it a cult look, with appropriate shooting locations, good background music,decent script etc and is aided by nice performance by Carly Pope.
Yes, the riddles themselves sometimes looked easy, sometimes bizarre which leaves a mixed impression, but they were not enough to answer all the incidents happening in the film.
If somehow that means to keep the viewer occupied with it after watching the film, that's the big mistake.
Nemesis Game is a mind-bending film filled with riddles, death, mystery, and philosophy.
In it's simplest sense the film is about seeking answers and what happens when you've finally found them all.
What would you do if you were offered the ability to finally make sense of the chaos of life?The movie was written and directed by Jesse Warn.
While this was Warn's first feature length film, the movie doesn't reflect that at all, but instead shows polish and an artistic approach to telling the story.
I would definitely love to see more of her work.Being based on riddles, this is a very cerebral movie.
It could be easy to complain about the quality of this movie (you don't have to throw cartloads of money at a movie to make it good, nor will it guarantee that it is worth watching) but I think that is totally missing the point.
If your expecting fast cars, T&A or a movie that will spell itself out for you then don't watch this, you'll be disappointed and dumbfounded.This movie was thoroughly enjoyable, kept us on the edge of our seats and made us really think.
The writer obviously put a lot of thought and research behind this movie and it shows through the end, just remember to keep an open mind.Note: the school scenes were all filmed at McMaster University and most of the rest was done in Toronto..
The only reason I even watched this film that I had previously never heard of before, was strictly for IAN McSHANE.I was not disappointed in the least.
These people certainly weren't being paid huge amounts of cash for their participation (as this was a fairly low budget film) but this did not mean that any of them "mailed" their appearances in.
Everyone was convincing and compelling with the parts given to them.I was even pleasantly surprised at ADRIAN PAUL's performance though I must admit I have only ever seen him in the HIGHLANDER Television series before this movie.The plot was well paced and the storyline intriguing and much like real life, not everything ends up tied in a nice neat little package for you at the end of the film.
Anybody who expected a clear-cut, by-the-numbers, connect the dots "conclusion" or "answer" at the end of the movie...
CLEARLY wasn't watching the film closely enough!
This film is not going to tell you what the "meaning of life" is!
(sounds pretty dull, huh?) But the reality is that I was completely absorbed by the film and it's just a well written little piece with an interesting hook and solid character performances by all parties involved.****** WARNING...****** If you're the kind of person who dislikes movies that dangle an enormous "question" as the central engine of the story and then end the movie without answering that particular question directly...YOU MIGHT NOT ENJOY THIS FILM..
"The Nemesis Game" tells of a college student, Sara (Pope), who plays a game of riddles but who can't seem to solve the riddle of her life.
The film develops a pair of wispy, marginally intriguing, and converging plot lines; Sara and her riddle game and her father, a cop, and his interrogation of a murder suspect.
The result is a frustrating mess with paper thin characters which wallows in it own sense of self importance while failing to deliver anything of substance finally ending with an epilogue much like the punch line of a shaggy dog story.
It could only have been a better film if we had known more about the nightmares from the past the characters see when they close their eyes, and why they felt this desperate need to seek the "answer" that is so integral to the storyline.
I thought it was a thought provoking movie that made you want to look into the power behind riddles.
I think the type of people that wouldn't like this movie would be those who don't like solving things, or those who get frustrated when they can't solve riddles.
its a good movie, based on a true story that happened in my home town of Toronto, Ontario.
so if u want a real record of the things that happen in the alleys there, watch this movie.
And for those who only watch movies to point out plot holes and character flaws, realize that in real life, this same stuff does happen.
But the movie also leaves you wanting more, more riddles, more explanation, just plainly, more.
Something more I want to add, is that the ideas within this movie, the underground riddle world, does exist, but there is a lot more to it.
This movie tries to be a clever one but it does this by not making any sense at all.This is really one pointless movie to watch because it just isn't heading anywhere with its story.
The entire idea behind the concept of this movie is that once you have solved enough certain riddles you will get to see the entire pattern and meaning of life.
Guess this is something that could had still worked out, if the movie had only truly been a clever one.The riddles in this movie instead feel so utterly pointless and on top of that are also quite stupid ones.
Further more it really doesn't become apparent in this movie how solving these riddles will get you anywhere.
Seriously, this stuff is going nowhere and in the long run nothing in it makes really sense, since the movie simply doesn't bother to explain very much.
It just thinks that it's enough to confuse its viewer and to present it with difficult riddles, that however serve no purpose for the movie at all it seems because the movie really doesn't provide much back-story for anything at all.It's a real problem with this movie that it sees itself as a clever one.
Everybody in this movie is behaving as if solving some riddles written on a wall somewhere is the most important thing in the world and needs to get done, regardless of any danger or foul play involved with it.Yes, I really hated this movie because of its approach and story.
It would had been better, or at least more interesting, to me if the movie actually had a a big mystery to be solved in it, like the disappearances of something or someone or a murderer that needs to be stopped.
That way the story the story and all of its riddles could had more of served a purpose for the entire movie.
Instead now the movie seems like a real pointless one but above all things also a terribly uninteresting one.Yes, the movie definitely did still showed some potential but it basically all gets wasted as the movie moves along, despite the actor's hard efforts to still make something good out of it all.Nothing interesting, tense or mysterious to be found here.
This movie is like a philosophical thing, and could be psychological as well.
Storyline is complex but overall is quite interesting and different from most movie cliché or storyline.I was pretty disappointed by the ending but in a way is a good ending.
And if every movie solve everything for you or make a typical ending, than that would be boring.Every movie has its flaws depending on how you look at it.
since noone truly knows that answer, you definitely sail into murky waters when you incorporate that concept into a movie.
the rest of the cast were somewhat shaky, however since the focus was on sara novak (carly pope), her performance anchored the movie.
watch this movie you should enjoy it.t. Avoid this movie like the plague.
here's a short synopsis of the movie : Sara Novak (Carly Pope) is a college girl who's into riddles.
She 'plays' riddle games with Vern (Adrian Paul), a shopkeeper, in a scavenger hunt type thing, where solving one riddle will lead to another one.
But both of them (separately) get an 'invitation' to play a series of riddles, (usually spray painted on subways for Sara, and on his shop windows/websites for Adrian) which, once solved will reveal the 'design' supposedly explaining why things in life are the way they are  i.e. the meaning of life.
I have a couple of movie ideas about talking chipmunks involved in industrial espionage that I'd like to run past them.
A problem could be the quality, but that doesn't bring down the essence of the movie.The idea it self is brilliant and the ending leaves you just completely shocked and with the question for you to seek the answer.
All she will do is talk in riddles.After that, we see Dennis and Vern, two weeks earlier, talking about the meaning of life in Vern's store, which sells merchandise that appeals to heavy metal and alternative rock fans.Then we see a like-new 1966 Ford pickup being driven through the dark, wet streets of an unidentified large city (Toronto University is mentioned).
Sara is then given the first of several clues that she needs to solve a mystery (while being timed) as she explores a section of town she probably shouldn't be in after dark.Sara, the detective's daughter, is in college, but her father feels she is not reaching her potential.
Jeremy is persistent, and he says he knows her secret--she drives to school but takes the subway home.When she gets on the subway, Sara sees riddles written in blue, mostly on the walls.
The mystery author of the riddles is behaving in the same way as the mythological character Nemesis (not the Nemesis of Greek mythology, though--she is female, and the pictures and stories in this movie seem to be of a man; to the ancient Greeks, The Sphinx was responsible for riddles).The game becomes a life-and-death situation after a murder.This movie is darker than what I generally would watch.
I liked him better on the TV series, but that doesn't mean he wasn't good here.
at least I didn't find anything on this character.The mystery was interesting, though the ending was somewhat shocking.
If you enjoy riddles and suspense, you will enjoy this movie.
Plot is: Sarah (Carly Pope), a student of philosophy and metaphysics, starts playing a mysterious riddle game trying to figure out "the reason" and gets involved in "the game" by solving riddles.
I personally happen to like riddles and puns, so while most of them weren't very difficult, it was still a fun movie.
Four things intrigued me as to this film - firstly, it stars Carly Pope (of "Popular" fame), who is always a pleasure to watch.
Aside from the nice riddles which are littered throughout the movie (and Pope and Owen), this film isn't very good.
The concept is good, but what ends up in the movie is just a summary.
Two weeks earlier, his daughter college student Sara Novak (Carly Pope) likes to solve riddles from comic book store owner Vern (Adrian Paul).
Sara takes part in a riddle game in the real world when it turns dangerous.The start is a little slow and a little muddled.
Being a movie I had not heard of before but just happened to stumble across, I had no expectations prior to watching it.
I love this kind of plots, that includes riddles and clues which gives the person watching the movie, abit of a challenge.
But unfortunately they didn't manage to make a good ending, that explained it all in a brilliant way, that made sense of the whole movie.
Instead the ending destroyed the entire film.
When they build up a plot, they've got to deliver an answer that's reasonable and explains everything that's happened up till that point.
I would like to advice the ppl responsible for this movie to remake the last 10 minutes and do it better this time..
It's the same thing here: after about 90% of the film writer and director seem to have noticed that they need an end and so they come up with one too quickly; considering the built up the end is an anti climax.
So all in all I think there is a lot of talent wasted in this film: great actors and a gifted director but nothing comes of it.
So in spite of the brilliance of 90% of the film it's not worth watching..
My advice - take the average rating of about 5 out of 10 as a hint that the movie is really not worth watching.
I found the movie rather tedious with a poor script and nothing to keep me wanting to watch it at all.
I watched this film not knowing anything about it.
The plot is enthralling and intelligent, the cast are all charismatic and the whole film just makes you think for a change.
Some of the riddles stumped me completely but in the end the answers were rather simple.
It is a film however than ultimately provides no answers which may irk some people but I thought the ending was great.
I watched this movie a few days and was highly impressed.
And the ending did not disappoint like so many other movies that are made now.
I like films that make you think and confuse you which this does.
It was like they ran out of funding and then decided to end the film with framed narratives.
You need to watch this movie just so you get what I am talking about but the bottom line is: All the things that are interesting in the film, and all the things that you can;t wait to come together somewhere, Are ruined by the fact that they don't.
(This commentary entails revealing parts about the film or Spoilers)I though that this movie was a very unassuming and well-done suspense and drama rolled into one.
(Pun intended) It had great acting the characters didn't try to oversell their persona like perhaps would be done on a more financially equipped film but on the same note they did just open with the plot like one would assume a B rated movie would.you definitely wanted to keep watching and find out how the loose melange of subplots would unite, and find out what precisely was the meaning of The 'Design'.
Don't misinterpret me, you did work solving puzzles and jumping over plot holes but it wasn't laborious.It was a good movie but I don't think I could be prevailed upon to watch it again one time is enough.
You have to do that when you present a story which normal, everyday acts (lie solving riddle rhymes) start to have an abnormal effect on people.
The "menacing" atmosphere, with the "oh-so-clever" riddles (enter the 60's series of Batman and Robin, with guest appearance of The Riddle) and the crazies who claim to have "the knowledge" behind that smirk on their faces just horrible, HORRIBLE.I'm usually very partial about low budget movies, and tend to root for the underdog by giving them more praise than they may deserve, in lieu of their constrictions, you know, but this is just an ugly excuse for a movie that will keep you wanting to be good for an hour and a half, and at the end you will just lament that you fell for it..
Good movie - if they had put an ending to it.
Mystery, riddles, questions, death, murder.It nevers bores you for a second and keeps on going like a book, that you don't want to close before you've read it completely.
[POSSIBLE SPOILER]At the end you'd expect an explanation of why the riddles, why the deaths, why this trouble and perhaps even the answer to the question in this movie: the reason to live.
That spoiled my feelings about this movie; a definite open end, no understanding whatsoever, just the knowledge of who's behind all this.
Movie raises too many questions, but not the good kind..
If you are looking for a movie for people who think they know a deep intellectual movie then maybe you might enjoy this one..
In the end, I still had the feeling of being fooled the same way that Sara was caught in the thriller that did not seem like a thriller, in a thoughtful, muted hurt youth silenced and torn by the questions, silently scavenged by a great conspiracy, or maybe the opposite.
The film never intends to answer all of its mysteries , but does an excellent job in the exposition of several plot twists.
I mean, if you're gonna have the internet play such a prominent role in your movie, at least get the little things right.