YMMV / The Game (1997)

• Designated Hero: Conrad and the CRS were trying to turn Nicholas into a better person but their gaslighting and making Nicholas insane felt too questionable.
• Funny Moments: The t-shirt Nicholas gets at the end.
  I was drugged and left for dead in Mexico, and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt.
• Jerkass Woobie: Nicholas Van Orton. He's an unpleasant man, but watching his father kill himself on his birthday certainly didn't do wonders for him growing up.
• Magnificent Bastard:
  • Conrad "Connie" Van Orton gave Nicholas a gift certificate for Consumer Recreational Services (CRS) in the hopes of breaking him out of his jaded shell. Informing CRS about his brother's Dark and Troubled Past, Conrad plays the role of a desperate victim of CRS who was forced to bring Nicholas into the loop. At the end, knowing he would be shot by his unhinged brother, he, along with the rest of the CRS actors chased Nicholas to the rooftop to reveal that it was all part of an elaborate game, before revealing himself to still be alive after Nicholas' suicide attempt, presenting him with a t-shirt that reads "I was drugged and left for dead in Mexico and all I got was this stupid t-shirt", successfully turning his brother into a better, more humble person.
  • Christine, real name (possibly) Claire, is an actress employed by CRS. Pretending initially to be another victim of CRS, Christine plays a role in trashing Nicholas' hotel room. As Nicholas catches onto her, she quickly weaves a story about how she was caught up in CRS' deception before drugging Nicholas and leaving him in a coffin in Mexico. Proud to have succeeded in her role in breaking down Nicholas' aloof and self-centered demeanor, she continues to play on his paranoia even after the game had ended by presenting her Multiple-Choice Past to him.
• Paranoia Fuel: This movie takes Gaslighting up to eleven. And apparently it’s supposed to feel good in the end. Even if Nicholas does end up being happy when it’s over, especially after discovering his brother was okay, one has to wonder if this will leave him with serious trust issues.
• Nightmare Fuel: The clown. Seriously…
• Retroactive Recognition: Nicholas' father is played by Charles Martinet, more known now for voicing Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi.