Interview – Gino Anania & Stefan Brunner On Shudder’s ‘Elevator Game’

Whether you’re a horror fan or not, attempting to summon demons or playing bizarre games to scare each other is something that most of us do as children (and some of us still do)! I think of the Ouija Board, trying to summon Bloody Mary, or in the 90s The Candyman. Many of these games may have come from long ago, while others are derived from the modern age.

A new Shudder original is now available to watch on AMC+ and the Shudder app, Elevator Game (2023). This supernatural horror film is based around an online phenomenon, a ritual conducted in an elevator. The game’s players will attempt to travel to another dimension using a set of rules found online. A young group of YouTubers with a channel called “Nightmare on Dare Street” has sponsors and requires the channel to hit its mark with new content. A new guy to the group, Ryan (Gino Anaia), suggests they take on the online phenomenon of the “elevator game,” which is connected to the recent disappearance of a young lady. Ryan is obsessed with this Urban Legend, and the timing is pretty suspicious that this game should be played for new content that the channel desperately needs for its sponsors.

Elevator Game was a fun film that used a lot of lighting to reveal its evil elements. I enjoyed the characters, and there was a sprinkle of Comedy mixed into this film that played out well. There was a softness about where this film was going, and that softness dissipated, and the terror began to set in. 

The characters, atmosphere, and folklore behind the Elevator Game are enough to keep me invested. The film left a lasting impression; there will not be a time when I enter an elevator that this film will not float through my mind, even if it’s just for a second, and that is good damn filmmaking and storytelling. Director Rebekah McKendry has an eye for this; I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for horror fans!

I had the opportunity to chat with Producer Stefan Brunner and Actor Gino Anaia about the film. We discuss the folklore behind the game, the Elevator filming location, the challenges outlined in the film’s production, and much more! 

Film Info

Director: Rebekah McKendry

Screenwriter: Travis Seppala

Starring: Gino Anania, Verity Marks, Alec Carlos, Nazariy Demkowicz, Madison MacIsaac, Liam Stewart-Kanigan, Megan Best

Producers: Ed Elbert, Stefan Brunner, James Norrie

Language: English

Running Time: 94 mins

About Shudder

AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillers, and the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. For a 7-day, risk-free trial, visit www.shudder.com.