The Game / A játszma (Hungary 2022)

thriller, 110 min, eng subtitles, 16+. Directed by Péter Fazakas, written by Norbert Köbli, with János Kulka, Zsolt Nagy, Péter Scherer, Gabrielle Hámori, Viktória Staub

The film takes place during the times of the Cold War in 1963 in Budapest. State security officer András Jung (Zsolt Nagy) has a perfect life: he lives happily with his wife and work partner Eva (Gabriella Hámori), and the only obstacle separating him from the desired promotion is his competitive colleague Kulcsár (Péter Scherer). When András’s unwelcome spy ex-colleague Markó Pál (János Kulka) reappears on the scene in connection with an unresolved case, a game full of unexpected twists and turns begins and so does a merciless battle where nothing and no one is what they seem and where a simple human gesture can cost one's life.

The Game is a superbly acted, riveting and intelligent spy thriller that keeps on surprising the viewer until the very end. It follows up on the story of the film The Exam / A vizsga (also screened at CinEast) and the role of the main protagonist was written especially for the renowned Hungarian actor János Kulka, who had suffered a stroke a few years earlier.