Gatlopp
Might contain spoilers.
Self-contained and great fun. It’s got an edge and is even a teensy bit frightening early on, before the tone is entirely clear, but it’s never that nasty. The performances are enjoyably authentic and the characters are believably stupid, even when one is wondering just how many times bad things have to happen to them before they realize they can’t ignore the game. (Although they do drink a lot, and Samantha faces no special consequences for not finishing her sentence.)
I like that the film doesn’t waste much time on the encounter with something appearing as Alice after Paul says he’s the one who messed his life up. It knows to keep the scene brief and return to the entertainment, including some surprisingly effective visual effects and well-executed flashbacks. The sequence with Samantha and Troy’s swapped bodies is especially well done, as is the hilarious aerobics non sequitur.
Sarunas J. Jackson (Troy) has one of those voices you love to hear. I was right that he’s tall, but my scale was off. I guessed Jim Mahoney was around the standard Hollywood 6′ and Sarunas J. Jackson was around 6′4″. In fact, they’re 6′3″ and 6′8″ respectively!