The Only Horror Movie on Max With 100% on Rotten Tomatoes Is an Old-Fashioned Thriller

In 1924, Richard Connell wrote a short story whose influence would persevere for years to come. The Most Dangerous Game was the first of its kind, where humans became the prey in a hunting game for sport or entertainment. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s (known for their King Kong films) 1932 Pre-Code film adaptation brought the short story to the screen for the first time, and although it certainly would not be the last, this original adaptation still feels entirely fresh and thrilling. The premise is far more faithful to the original short story compared to future reimaginings, and its simplistic approach to storytelling is refreshing, making it an essential watch for modern lovers of smart thrillers that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

What Is ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ About?

The Most Dangerous Game is the most faithful film adaptation of Connell’s short story, opening up with a highbrow scene of gentlemen sitting on a yacht and discussing the joys of hunting for sport. The foreshadowing here is plain yet effective through the men, including protagonist Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea), rebuking the captain’s concerns about sailing this close to a feared island, and also through their hunting discussions, finally posing the question: what if “you were the tiger instead of the hunter?” After a fatal shipwreck by the reef which we later find out was planned by Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks), Rainsford manages to find his way to the island as the lone survivor.

When he stumbles upon a mysterious manor, adorned with the Gothic doorknob seen in the opening credits, Rainsford meets the unnerving Zaroff and his mute bodyguard, Ivan (Noble Johnson). Anticipation is built through Zaroff’s suggestive comments and the introduction of the insightful Eve (Fay Wray) and her drunken brother Martin (Robert Armstrong), who had arrived there in a similar fashion. Zaroff was particularly pleased with Rainsford’s arrival, having read all his novels that had chronicled his hunting adventures and also considering him a kindred spirit. After a long night of sharing hunting stories, boasting about cultivating “the most dangerous game” and wondering about the contents of a trophy room, the hunt swiftly begins, leaving both Rainsford and Eve stumbling through the woods.

‘The Most Dangerous Game’s Stakes Consistently Rise

The film’s simplistic approach to the premise is actually rather refreshing, as the events of the film are laid out in an almost chapter-like sequence that is easy to follow. Beginning with the yacht, then the manor, then the hunt, the film uses each distinct setting to focus on each aspect of the story. The yacht catalyzes the themes of questioning hunting for sport, while the manor is used to introduce the character of Zaroff, which complicates the initial thematic concern with the potential lack of humanity and brutality displayed by humans. But it is during the hunt that we have the most fun and the most simplicity. With the thematic concerns already introduced in the story, the hunt is used to focus on execution, as the visual element of realistic and plain horror is amplified to drive their initial thoughts home.

Rainsford and Zaroff actually treat the entire experience as if they were hunting for animals, with Zaroff egotistically showing off his archery skills and Rainsford resourcefully creating man-made traps. Deigning to use traditional murder weapons, the reduction of humans into animals is provoking, really emphasizing the apparent lack of separation between animals and humans. Or as one of the gentlemen in the yacht inquired: “The beast, killing just for his existence, is called savage. The man, killing just for sport, is called civilized. Bit contradictory, isn’t it?” The hunt proceeds and progressively increases in intensity, particularly regarding the tools they use. Zaroff uses a bow, a rifle, then vicious hunting dogs, while Rainsford uses a falling log trap, a covered pit trap, fog, then ultimately wins by deception. It is a very rigid approach to the hunt, but it succeeds due to the increasing onslaught of weaponry and brutality, systematically upping the ante at each video game level-like moment.

Unlike the short story, the film spends more of its one-hour run time on the hunt rather than the mystery beforehand, recognizing that the “twist” is easy to guess. Connell’s short story spends a bulk of time on dialogue, where Zaroff is elusive about what (or rather, who) the most dangerous game is, whereas the film relies more on the visual horror of a man and woman being hunted down in the jungle to create a visceral impact. That being said, there is still a shiver of excitement when the truth comes to light in the film. From the dialogue on the ship about what it would feel like to be the prey, to the Count’s decaying skull collection in his trophy room, the film’s simple, more visual, manner of foreshadowing in lieu of trying to be mysterious, succeeds in building anticipation anyway.

Leslie Banks Steals the Show as the Villain

Banks’ character of Zaroff also strongly contributes to the film’s intrigue, as he sends chills down our spines and keeps a look of disgust plastered on our faces. It is not only his love for murdering humans and simply calling it “hunting for sport” that repulses us, but also the way he inextricably links this euphoria to his sexuality, as he claims: “Only after the kill, does man know the true ecstasy of love.” As such, Eve becomes the trophy for whoever wins the hunt, which, from a narrative standpoint, makes sense considering this was Pre-Code 1930s, but also serves to effectively make no room for sympathy for his character.

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But these traits only render Zaroff repulsive. He is unsettling through his strange attitude and bizarre mannerisms that sometimes border on comedic. It is hard to know whether to laugh at him or go running. From his insanely stiff walk that still somehow comes across as graceful (almost like a gliding plank), to the jarring dissonance of his quiet and abruptly loud moments, we feel a nervous giggle rise to our throats. This is especially evident in his sudden proclamation “hunting is beginning to bore me,” after his flowing and quiet monologue recounting his former glory days of hunting jaguars. Even his tolerance of Martin’s drunken behavior and graciousness to humor his request to play the piano is unsettling; if he has this much patience with him, imagine his steady patience when he is doing the one thing he loves.

However, enough time has passed to recognize the filmmakers’ use of the “Other” in Zaroff. With a distinct Russian accent and the inherent Dracula-like mannerisms given to him, Zaroff had been rendered into something unfamiliar to be able to carry out his murderous actions while also being accepted by a wider audience. The Other was the most effective and socially acceptable tactic to create horrifying humans at the time, also contributed by his quip about “Russians are bad mechanics” and the outrageous way he rolls his Rs. In fact, his wide-eyed, sleepless gaze and dramatic flourishes really rendered him seemingly inhuman, allowing contemporary audiences to stomach his actions without really associating them with real life. Funnily enough, Schoedsack tells the American Cinematographer that they were planning on capitalizing on this by giving Zaroff hunting leopards instead of dogs, but after losing the leopard on the jungle set, they quickly discarded the idea.

‘The Most Dangerous Game’s Premise Has Taken Many Forms

But what really proves that The Most Dangerous Game is an entertaining concept is the countless adaptations and media inspired by it years later. The story has two other direct adaptations of the same name, one in 2022, where the setting of the island was retained but the characters and the plot twists are increased, and a 2020 adaptation starring Liam Hemsworth, where the game is translated to a whole city as a hunting ground. We can also see the idea of humans becoming prey to other humans in countless other films and TV shows, such as The Hunt, The Hunger Games, and Squid Game. While all these films are vastly different and unique, they all stem from Connell’s twisted idea of killing humans for sport and entertainment.

While the longevity of the idea is intriguing, what really makes Connell’s premise compelling is its versatility, as it allows for any contemporary villain to be seamlessly slotted into the plot depending on the cultural and social views of the time. Each era has seen a different antagonist in this timeless story. Connell’s short story started with Zaroff as a Russian aristocrat and Ivan as a Cossack General, hinting at the strained political relations between Russia and the U.S. after World War I. The 1932 film built upon this by further dehumanizing the two with influences from Dracula, whose film had been released the year prior. The 2022 adaption saw a Nazi soldier in place of Zaroff, while the 2020 adaptation, and the other three re-imaginings mentioned, all had the wealthy as the antagonist. As such, the premise of The Most Dangerous Game truly succeeds in its capacity to be versatile and insightful, still maintaining the ability to captivate audiences years later.

The Most Dangerous Game is available to watch now on Max in the U.S.

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