A dark twisted thriller in the same vein as Se7en and Untraceable, DarkGame is an unsettling feature surrounding a determined detective (Ed Westwick) in a race against time to stop a sadistic game show on the dark web, where captives are forced to compete for their lives and the losers are executed via live broadcast. For the depraved, masked host, it’s all a part of his master plan to gain ratings and notoriety.
As the film arrives On Demand this week in the United States, Peter Gray spoke with lead star Westwick about staying in a certain mindset whilst filming such a dark story, his appreciation of an unhappy ending, and his shock at how Gossip Girl is now perceived by a new generation.
I don’t know what it says about me in that I love these types of movies. Se7en. Hostel. Untraceable. I was getting those vibes from DarkGame. Is this a genre of film you enjoy yourself?
100%. Se7en is one of my favourite movies. I remember watching that when I was much younger, obviously. I can’t remember the year it came out, but an absolute classic. I think it’s definitely the inspiration for this to a degree. I didn’t watch it before doing this movie though, I wanted to do my own thing as best I could. But I’m like you, man, I love this dark stuff. I don’t know whether it’s kind of just looking at (the material) from a safe distance, or something like that, but I’m a big fan of the true crime genre. Watching those kind of freaky documentaries is so popular these days. I love it. And I always wanted to play a cop. I was wanting to play a detective, and it’s a different role from anything I’ve done. So there were many reasons I wanted to do this.
In playing a detective, is there any specific research that goes into that for you?
Not really. The script gives us our journey. You’re dealing with a human who’s on the edge. He’s seen some stuff, and because of what happened to his family he’s triggered in a way, so in order for the story to work, and in order for it to be a movie that keeps you watching, we need (my character) to not be completely numb. We need his reaction and his breaking point. He’s an emotional guy. And all of that was laid out on the page. And I just had to navigate that. This wasn’t necessarily a detective story, you know? It’s not like a Sherlock Holmes making discoveries and we’re wondering how he does it. It’s (my character) and his team, the Cyber Crimes Units, and they’re all just trying to figure out what’s going on. It was huge going through the journey.
We see your character reacting to the dark web footage throughout the film. Are you actually watching anything during those scenes?
There’s nothing in front of us. We’re all kind of staring at this blank screen and the director is talking to us. We’re all in sync about what’s happening, and we’re just imagining and reacting and trying to not make some stupid face. It was pretty intense.
Unfortunately, it’s probably true that society would have this morbid curiosity with the type of live execution show this film centres around. You’d be wrestling with wanting to watch it or not.
I think the sad thing is in this day and age, and I think they even ask it in the film, is that we would question if it’s real. We would doubt it. And that’s the problem with this challenge of tech we’re seeing now, where we question how authentic something is. I’m worried for that. I wonder how many things will get questioned and if it’s then too late…it’s going to be a really interesting time for society to navigate.
I think, to be honest, there’s always an element to the disappointing side of society. People would probably watch something like (in this film), and with what’s going on right now on the dark web? It’s just a pop culture thing. Anything’s possible.
Given how dark the film is, is it one of those situations where you try to keep things as light as possible for yourself on set? Or do you almost have to sit with it whilst filming?
I always find that trying to sit in it and sustain is good. When there’s multiple people on set, it can really break up the atmosphere and people can lose their concentration. It felt like we were all in this crisis situation together, and we built off that. If somebody started talking or doing something in between (takes), it can be hard to snap back into it. Some people are better than others at finding that balancing act, but I find it’s more helpful to try and stay in there.
I’ll admit that I appreciated the film committing to an unhappy ending. When you first read the script, what was your reaction to that?
It’s a weird thing that’s been ingrained in us, right? Storytelling, or Hollywood storytelling, likes to tie everything up in a nice bow at the end. It’s kind of bullshit. That’s not necessarily the way it is. Sometimes that unnerving feeling at the end is more realistic. I was pleased that it did that. And it does leave it open. I don’t know if there’s any kind of ambition to extend this story, but it leaves you with that possibility. I think it’s a good thing that you end up wondering what happens next.
And just quickly before we wrap up, I wanted to ask you about Gossip Girl and if you’re seeing this new generation of streaming audiences react to the show differently than in its original run?
100%. I was on the street earlier and this 12-year-old girl stopped me with her mother, and it blows my mind that she wasn’t alive when the show was first on. I don’t get into the conversations about their experiences and dissection of it, it’s usually just a light hello and we take a picture, but it would be interesting to understand what this generation’s interpretation of it is. You know, they have shows like Euphoria, which is pretty extreme compared to Gossip Girl. But I remember when Gossip Girl was the shocking new show, but there’s probably nothing in it now, which is shocking in itself. It’s interesting to see how the times move.
DarkGame is now available On Demand in the United States. An Australian release is yet to be determined.
