The Name Of The Game Is Kill

The Name of The Game is Kill is a thrilling, complex, and vivid psychological drama from 1968, featuring the brilliant performances of Jack Lord, known for his beloved role in Hawaii Five-O, and Susan Strasberg, recognized for her stirring performances on stage and screen. Lord's adeptness at exhibiting impressive range and depth in his characters is demonstrated once more through his role in this film, while Strasberg's ability to channel complex emotions and portray multilayered characters shines through in her performance.

The story takes us on a gripping journey that's just as cryptic as its title. The narrative starts with a young hitchhiker, Sym, (Jack Lord) who, while journeying through the vast expanse of the Arizona desert, crosses paths with a stunning yet apprehensive woman, Mickey Terry (Susan Strasberg). The encounter is the beginning of his immersion into a world shrouded in enigma, paranoia, and suspense, a world that seems to only feed on dreadful secrets.

Mickey takes Sym to her isolated homestead where he meets her sisters, the gentle, introverted Dizy, and the authoritarian, provoking Nan, alongside their stern mother who appears to rule the roost with an unnerving air of control. The unpredictably strange behavior of the Terry family only deepens the mysteries that envelop this riveting tale. As Sym dwells longer within the Terry family home, his curiosity and interest morph into a compelling need to reveal the family's unnerving secrets. But like a complex web of intrigue, every revelation seems to lead Sym deeper into the labyrinth of uncertainty and fear.

The Name of The Game is Kill crafts a hauntingly intense atmosphere with its surfeit of suspense that keeps the viewer on edge from start to finish. This American Independent film showcases the hues of black and white cinema beautifully, capturing every shade of the story's shadowy ambiance. Directed by Gunnar Hellström, coupled with the fascinating screenplay by Gary Crutcher, this gripping film excels in meshing the elements of suspense, drama, and psychological thrillers.

Also known as The Female Trap, the film makes radical use of mental and physical landscapes to fine-tune the escalating intensity - the isolation of the desert becomes a metaphor for the character’s own isolation and the claustrophobic home symbolic of the emotional entrapments within the family. Soaked in a sinister and tense mood, the film constantly pitches its characters against one another, ratcheting up the anticipation and suspense with every scene.

With cinematography by Vilis Lapenieks, which adds an eerie quietude to the narrative, the film evocatively sets the backdrop for this roller-coaster ride of emotions and mental gymnastics. The stellar performances by the cast, including T.C. Jones and Collin Wilcox, contribute to the film's mesmerizing draw.

The Name of The Game is Kill is a story about emotions, secrets, and the lengths to which people go to guard them. It's an exploration of the human psyche, of paranoia, and the stringent rules that govern guarded lives. This movie is an exceptional entry in the annals of psychological thrillers, with a narrative that oscillates between reality, illusion, and deception, and characters that captivate viewers with their multifaceted personalities and engrossing dynamics.

Undoubtedly, it is a film that keeps audiences guessing, adding layers of mystery and intrigue until the final moments. It thoroughly showcases the tense, suspense-driven cinema of the late 60s, while also reflecting a stark narrative style that resonates even today. The Name of The Game is Kill will undoubtedly satisfy lovers of intricate plot developments and dramatic performances. It provides an experience steeped in an unsettling atmosphere of fear and paranoia, keeping the viewer engrossed and on edge until the very end. The film may confuse and provoke while keeping you glued to the narratives woven by each character, reflecting the mysterious game that governs their lives.