Series 7: The Contenders

USA 2000, 85 minutes
Dir. Daniel Minahan
Rating: [R18]
Genres: Suspense/Crime, Drama / Independent, Black Comedy

Aroview: The scourge of ‘reality-TV’ gets its comeuppance (or homage?) in this ultraviolent satire. We’re in the near-future, where the highest rating show is ‘The Contenders’, in which selected contestants must hunt and kill each other across suburban America.

Reigning champ Brooke Smith, 8 months pregnant returns to her hometown to stalk a variety of teen wannabes, nutters and an old boyfriend. Deftly intercut with portentous voice-overs, ad-promos and re-enactments (when the camera crew has been shot) this TV parallel-universe is both topical and a melodramatic yarn down there with the ‘real’ thing...

NZ International Film Festival 2001

Member Reviews

Average rating (Good Try). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

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2 stars (Good Try) With the rise in popularity of American reality-tv shows, this satire portrays a group of contenders who's mission is to battle it out to the death 'reality-style' with cameras rolling. Clever concept, but unfortunately just didn't deliver. ~GenXGirl
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1 star (Turkey) Terrible 'reality TV' premised film that tries out the 'Battle Royale' formula and fails miserably. ~Tom H