Indie Game: The Movie Review

I' am a huge fan of documentary films and I came across this one on Netflix. It's called Indie Game: The Movie. The film follows a couple of indie game developers as they journey to create they games and release them. The story is told through the eyes of developers Jonathan Blow (Braid), Phil Fish (FEZ), Edmund Mcmillen and Tommy Refenes (Super Meat Boy). The film is truly a must watch for any fan of gaming, or a indie game developer. This film took me by surprise, because I wasn't expecting it to be powerful in the emotional sense. 

Directors Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky did a magnificent job of not only showing how these developers created they games. They made sure to depict the struggles, the achievements and criticism that comes with being an indie game developer. The film has great interviews from the developers showing you the journey from beta phase to final product. Fans of Super Meat Boy and Braid will see original concept art, first ideas that was scrapped, unfinished products and more. Hardcore gamers might have they feathers ruffle with the developers views on certain games. It might come off as narcissistic to some people but I applaud the fact they didn't sugarcoat they views. 

Overall the film excels on depicting it's subject matter, showing you the up's and downs of being an indie game developer, from the financial struggles, balancing your relationships with lovers, family and friends. If you're thinking of going the indie route, you might want to check out how these guys did it. The film is not only a great documentary, but a true life underdog story of people who chose to stick to the passion and freedom of expression to get they dreams realized. 



Final Grade  -