Netflix's 'Choose or Die' Wasn't Filmed Where You'd Expect
Published April 15 2022, 2:32 p.m. ET
CURS>R in 'Choose or Die'
If you like horror movies where part of the horror is about being in debt and living in poverty, then the Netflix film Choose or Die (aka CURS>R) is for you. With a similar plotline to Squid Game (except with a lot fewer people), it follows the story of Kayla (Iola Evans). She is broke and in college when she decides to play a computer game that offers a $125,000 prize.
But, of course, Kayla eventually realizes that instead of playing for money, she's playing just to stay alive. But where is she? Where is the movie filmed? The accents may leave you thinking it was made in a completely different part of the world.
Where was 'Choose or Die' filmed?
According to Variety, Choose or Die was shot on location in London, although it may not seem like that considering all the American accents. This is the debut feature for director Toby Meakins. According to his IMDb, he's been directing since 2003. His career began with a short titled Message Storm, which is about a woman who receives an underdeveloped photo from a dead man she used to love.
Iola Evans as Kayla in 'Choose or Die'
One of the most interesting things about Choose or Die is that while the movie is centered around a video game that looks like it came out in the '80s, Toby said that he didn't grow up playing games at all. In an interview with GameSpot, he revealed that another member of his family took up the hobby instead.
Actually, it was Toby's brother who did most of the gaming, but Toby still knew how important it was to make a game for the movie that looked authentic. Luckily, Choose or Die's co-writer Simon Allen and actor Asa Butterfield (who plays Issac in the movie) were assets in this regard.
Asa Butterfield as Issac in 'Choose or Die'
"I had all of these people going, 'You have to do like this and make sure you do it like this,'" Toby said. "The goal for everyone was to make something as authentic as possible." He went as far as to hire a specialist for retro gaming software and said that the game was actually more complicated to make than it might look on screen.
What is 'Choose or Die' rated?
Choose or Die isn't just scary because it has a few jump scares. It features a lot of gore and blood that not everyone will like. In the first scene of the movie, for example, a teenager is seen with blood pouring from his mouth because his mother cut out his tongue. Because of this and other factors, the movie has a TV-MA rating.
On top of that, the movie is called Choose or Die so viewers can expect to see somebody die in the film — but no spoilers here!
You can watch Choose or Die on Netflix now.