David Fincher is hardly a director noted for perky, cheerful family-friendly movies. Ever since his directorial debut Se7en - a film which resolves in about as downbeat a fashion as possible - he's defined himself as a master of brooding atmosphere, his films set against bleak backdrops with an undercurrent of nihilism, hopelessness and despair. With The Game, a similarly dark and mysterious tone prevails throughout, as Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) tries to unravel the increasingly bizarre events which unfold around him after his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) buys him a voucher for a "game" from Consumer Recreation Services. After a series of psyche evaluation tests he's informed of his unsuitability for the game, but afterwards discovers his bank accounts have been raided and before long he's drugged and wakes up in Mexico penniless. Fincher keeps the tension mounting steadily throughout as the audience empathises with Van Orton's increasingly distressing situation - then throws in an out of place happy ending to round things off, as we learn that everything that has transpired was all a part of the game. While the conclusion makes sense, it reduces the impact of everything before it, and the hint of a romance to come adds a layer of sweetness that sits at odds with the tone of the rest of the film. Far from the worst happy ending on this list, it's nevertheless still woefully misjudged.
