Reviewed by: Becca & Jeff

Directed by: David Cronenberg

Produced by: Robert Lantos, Andras Hamori, and David Cronenberg

Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Ian Holm, Don McKellar, & Sarah Polley

During the first closed door demonstration of an amzing new virtual reality game - called eXistenZ - the system's brilliant designer, Allegra Geller, is violently attacked by a crazed assassin intent on killing her and destroying her creation. Forced to flee into hiding, Allegra enlists a young assistant to help her in testing the damaged system...by convincing him to join her inside eXistenZ. The action then explodes as their world's real-life dangers begin to merge with the fantasy of the game. If you're ready to play, it's now your turn to plug into this powerfully entertaining hit.

I enjoyed this movie, some said it was like matrix or thirteenth floor, but I disagree entirely. Both those movies you knew who you were and what you were, however in eXistenZ you are completely shocked at the end. Moving from part of the game to the next you begin to loose all track of what is reality and what is the game. Jude Law does an excellent job in this movie, although I can't say the same for Jennifer Jason Leigh. I found her character hollow, and that I didn't really care about her.

The best part was this wasn't just some game you play on a screen or in a room with your body covered in that most interesting 3d suit. This game was played by a control panal that looks like an organ, (turns out they are a living things). You then plug the game directly to your spinal cord, it's rather disgusting, but it explains alot. I enjoyed watching some famous actors play small parts like William Defoe as a gas station clerk! The end left you questioning reality, but you are satisfied.

The first 3 times I watched this movie I stopped watching it after the first 20 min. It starts out very slow, and most who watch it are prone to shut it off before the story gets going. However once you get past the stories slow start, it picks up into a very unique movie.

It raises many questions to technology, our leisure time, and how we spend it. I felt much of the movie made statements towards the loss of reality when submersed into a medium (like television, video games, etc.), and the implications it can have on a society and its members, such as loss of self identity, conformism, and what you can consider reality. I found myself confused a good part of the movie as to what was really happening, and what was in the game world, however it all comes together in the end, with a very bizzare and shocking ending that I did not forsee. If you like movies that don't trudge down the beaten path, this is definately something you should check out.