I loved the game sequences, you get the feeling they really captured the spirit of online gaming and the game world here is dark and compelling. The story has to do with sexual obsession, a boy falls for a tragic femme fatale who appears to be trying to commit suicide. The relationship is realized in part in the game world, a eerie cyber world called BlackHole where the mystery woman has a character called Sam. I found myself wishing there actually was such a game because the graphics were so beautiful in a haunting sort of way. The game in Black Heaven was much more interesting than the ugly game world realized in "eXistenZ".
Unfortunately, the backstory just doesn't live up to the potential of the fictional game and the ending is abrupt. Still, I found Black Heaven to hold my interest. Perhaps if the main character Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) hadn't been played as such a dimwitted dork the mystery might have had more tension. As such he's way too passive and detached. This could have been a great thriller if more story action had taken place in that fascinating game world.
Unfortunately, the backstory just doesn't live up to the potential of the fictional game and the ending is abrupt. Still, I found Black Heaven to hold my interest. Perhaps if the main character Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) hadn't been played as such a dimwitted dork the mystery might have had more tension. As such he's way too passive and detached. This could have been a great thriller if more story action had taken place in that fascinating game world.