I really don't recall how I ran in to this movie late last year but it seemed interesting and I gave it a watch. Honestly, it was probably one of the smartest and realistic movies of 2013. Here's the thing, I know the real life versions of the characters portrayed in this film. The main character, is a guy who has relentless passion for the tabletop gaming lifestyle. It is his social life, his hobby, his job and even his family life to some degree. He invests almost 100% of his time into this activity. This of course causes problems since he tends to be overbearing, a control freak and even an a$$hole throughout the film. But the film even touches on the reasons for how he became this way. He is a man who is relatively young, overweight, balding, unattractive and was abandoned by his mother. So he is almost the tragic hero in a sense since he was an outcast in society and even in his family life. His circle of friends are basically in the same boat as him. While they all have different personalities, they all represent the classic "geek". They represent that oldschool fanboy that never gets laid, dresses sloppily, has poor social skills, possible bad hygiene and lives on a high sugar and fat diet.
The group eventually meets a new gaming partner named Miles. Miles, in my opinion was fascinating because he was cast PERFECTLY. He represents the new type of nerd which is more mainstream, the HIPSTER NERD. He is the very typical tall, thin man who wears thick rimmed glasses, uses tight clothing, light facial hair and has a calm and more sociable demeanor. Now in the film, it was very interesting for me to see this since because we never had a film that really showed how both types of "NERDS" are similar yet so different. And the film is brutally honest about that fact that the more GEEKY nerds are still very much the social outcasts that they always were. While on the other hand, the new Hipster Nerds are basically the nerds that are more popular and accepted in society. And they tend to lead more eventful and interesting lives while having similar interests to the GEEKS.
The ending to this film is not a happy one by any means. The main character shows a sense of jealousy toward the new guy who is cooler that him. But throughout the film, despite his jealousy, he senses that something is off and the new guy is not exactly what he seems. And towards the end of the film, he finds out that Miles throws a party at his house without inviting his tabletop gaming buddies, and it is indirectly revealed that even among nerds, the GEEKS are outcasts that are unpopular.
But all in all, I really enjoyed this film very much because as a nerd (which type am I? lol), I found many elements portrayed to be very real. I have totally seen similar types of stories play out in my personal life regarding the GEEK NERD vs.HIPSTER NERD stigmas. The character studies on the main character and even some of the supporting characters were compelling and enjoyable to watch. And I am really interested in seeing what the directors come up with next...SEQUEL PLEASE!!
