Documentaries about video games and/or breaking video game records have really been taking off with hits like The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and Man vs. Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler, bringing new attention to the artform of professional gaming. Director Jane Wagner attempts to add to this genre, whilst also adding a LGBTQ twist to it.
Meet gamer Narcissa, a legend in the art of speed running. For the uninitiated, speed running in a game is basically finding weaknesses in the game code to speed through it in record time. Narcissa is attempting to be both her authentic self as a trans woman and reclaim her spot within the Twitch gaming community. She plans on doing this by breaking the record for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but this comes at the cost of her mental health due to dwindling viewership and online trolls. Even when things start to spiral, Narcissa meets a fellow streamer, and a budding romance starts online but moves into the real world in this uplifting and eye-opening documentary.
Break the Game is a really important film for a few reasons. Despite the LGBTQ making up a section of gamers, this is one of, if not the first, gaming documentary feature to a Queer story at its center. To say that this is a breath of fresh air and long overdue is an understatement. Thankfully, the subject matter is expertly and sensitively handled. We get a harrowing look at the world Narcissa must navigate on a daily basis. Transitioning is hard enough, but now add a community that can be as destructive as it is positive. Mental health is a big theme in this film, and Wagner doesn’t sugarcoat things, and witnessing Narcissa’s breakdown is tough to watch.
There is sunshine at the end of this dark tunnel, making for an incredible underdog story. With the support of a loving family, she is able to slay like a total badass, much like the characters her in video games. It is great that this film is not only a character study; it also tackles the toxic and even dangerous side to online trolls who harass streamers. This includes bullying in the form of hate speech to even worse things like death threats, doxxing, and swatting. The latter can lead to putting the victim in a life-threatening situation, which has resulted in death.
Even if you aren’t familiar with the world of Twitch streaming and the commerce of playing video games, Wagner does a nice job at laying it all out. It’s done in a very easy to understand way, yet still feels engaging for people well versed in this world. The visuals in this movie are extremely well done. Sprinkled throughout is a really fun and colorful 8-bit style animation. This not only is a nice touch that adds to the video game theme but also transitions nicely into the footage from Breath of the Wild. Many years of footage were painstakingly compiled to tell this story. Break the Game is truly a highlight at Tribeca this year. Not only does it finally give a Queer perspective in video games, but is also an important message about hope, family, and battling demons both 3D animated and in real life.
Break The Game had its World Premiere in the Viewpoints section of the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
Director: Jane M. Wagner
Writer: Jane M. Wagner
Rated: NR
Runtime: 80m
Break the Game is truly a highlight at Tribeca this year. Not only does it finally give a Queer perspective in video games, but is also an important message about hope, family, and battling demons both 3D animated and in real life.
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
