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Parents' Guide to

Survive the Game

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Violent Bruce Willis flick is almost bad enough to be funny.

Movie R 2021 97 minutes
Survive the Game Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 18+

Based on 3 parent reviews

MOBILJIM
MOBILJIM Adult
November 7, 2021
age 18+

A Low Budget Disappointment

A Low Budget film with weak acting,lots of violence, cursing, and not well scripted. Surprised to see it so soon after the Official Release on Free Cuban TV (without commercials). A disappointment not worth paying for (and I am glad that I didn't). Bruce Willis will want to forget this one and hope everyone else does also.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Review2021
Review2021 Adult
October 6, 2021
age 18+

Budget

The budget for this film must of been £50 acting is as bad as it gets.even Bruce Willis was acting bad in it.The plot is as bad as it gets.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SURVIVE THE GAME, two cops, Cal (Swen Temmel) and David (Bruce Willis), are staking out a drug deal. Cal impulsively decides to take action; a shoot-out follows, and David is shot. Two of the dealers -- romantic partners Mickey (Zack Ward) and Violet (Kate Katzman) -- try to escape, pursued by Cal, and they all end up on a remote farm. The farmer, Eric (Chad Michael Murray), recently lost his wife and child in a car accident. Eric and Cal escape from Mickey and Violet and take to the expansive farmland to hide. More drug dealers arrive, led by the snaky Frank (Michael Sirow), who has captured the wounded David. He sends out his hired attackers to find Cal and Eric. Meanwhile, David's old nemesis, the head of the entire operation, is also on the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (3 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Illogical, poorly acted, poorly shot, and without a single good idea, this ridiculous action movie is yet another in a string of terrible Bruce Willis efforts. Survive the Game -- not to be confused with Willis' other terrible movie, Survive the Night -- starts badly, with the two cops rashly, stupidly charging in on a drug deal simply because David has been "chasing this guy forever" and it's time to try something else. One of them actually, accidentally knocks over a flower pot and draws the villains' attention. Rather than remaining behind cover, David stands out in the open; unsurprisingly, that's how he gets shot. Never fear, though. Despite his bleeding stomach wound, he'll be up and about for the movie's final showdown.

Presumably the filmmakers thought they could whip up a sort of Die Hard on a farm, but they're so far off the mark that they couldn't even provide a reason for everyone to be on a farm. The cat-and-mouse stuff in Survive the Game happens more or less at random, with characters poking around various locations and jumping out at one another. And for some reason, Violet is dressed up as and acts like Harley Quinn. (Maybe the filmmakers are hoping to attract superhero fans to the movie?) There's even a slow, boring car chase as characters jump in their cars and drive around the farm in circles. Only Sean Kanan (The Karate Kid Part III) has a single inspired moment as his hired-gun character wonders why he didn't listen to his mama and go to law school.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Survive the Game's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How much of the violence is directed at women? How does that change the nature and impact of the movie?

  • How is drinking portrayed? How does the movie broach the subject of drug use? Is substance use glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?

  • Eric is grieving for lost loved ones. How does the movie address the subject of death?

  • Did you notice any positive role models or diverse representations in the movie? What is the potential impact if those things are absent?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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