Good afternoon, House of Madness hostages:
What if your life was all just a big game? Not in the sense that it's meaningless or silly, quite the opposite in fact; only nothing you do really matters on a global scale, and your entire life from your family values to your social standing was determined by a game? Would you do your best to master it, or would you simply succumb to the simplicity of being average, and not strive to be the best? For Yannick Berube (Marc-Andre Grondin), this exact scenario - although maniacally impossible, is all too real.
Yannick has just been accepted into the film program at the esteemed school he applied at, and life couldn't be more exciting for him and his girlfriend Josee (Catherine Berube) as they embark on a new chapter in their lives. Even better, Yannick is getting far away from his abusive father, and is ready to make a life of his own without the old man's help. Soon after arriving, Yannick jumps on his bicycle and heads out to explore his new surroundings while filming much of the process for a film he's making. After capturing some footage, Yannick carries on his journey when he's suddenly blindsided by a cat in his path, and flies over the handlebars of his bicycle in order to avoid hitting the wandering feline. Other than a couple of scratches, Yannick is no worse for wear, but the same can't be said for his ride; the chain and gearshift have been damaged, and this bicycle has made its last trip of the day. Luckily for Yannick he crashed in front of a residence, and swiftly heads up the driveway for assistance.
As the sign out front states, the house is owned by the Beaulieu family, and Yannick is greeted by Jacques Beaulieu (Normand D'Amour) himself, who then offers to head inside and call Yannick a cab. Yannick thanks him as he patiently waits outside, and then realizes his new cuts and scrapes should probably be cleaned, so he heads inside the Beaulieu home unannounced, searching for a sink in order to tend to his wounds. Suddenly, Yannick hears loud thumping coming from the floor above followed by cries for help, so he heads upstairs to investigate and finds a young man in serious distress. As he goes to the man's aid, Jacques makes his presence known once again, and now Yannick is in a much bigger plight than simply being stranded in the suburbs with no transportation.
Hours quickly become days, and days quickly become weeks, while Yannick is held captive in a sick, twisted game of righteousness orchestrated by Jacques. Jacques only kills the 'unrighteous', so Yannick is simply held captive until Jacques can come up with a longterm solution, because killing an innocent wouldn't be 'righteous' and would go against everything Jacques stands for - no unnecessary violence. Finally comes a solution: if Yannick can beat the undefeated champion Jacques in a game of chess, Jacques will set him free, and will accept such an impossible defeat as being the end of his reign of righteousness. One after one, and day after day the games are played, always finishing with the same result of Jacques being victorious; however, Yannick is improving and starts to cast doubt into Jacques soul, leaving him vulnerable for the first time in his life. As the stakes climb, so does Yannick's confidence, but is Yannick now at a point where he's truly playing for his freedom, or has the mission of winning become his own internal obsession, leaving his freedom as a secondary prize?
A film about a captive relying on winning at chess may sound silly, but "5150 Elm's Way" is a heavily layered film that never takes its foot off the gas in the psychological sense. This film has a little something for everyone, so if you're looking for something different, I'd say check this one out, mate. You can catch it on Prime Video, here.
Madness Meter: 7.6/10
NB
