Stranger 109

I saw this film, or series rather, at last year’s Machinima Film Festival where it won for best series, and I had trouble believing it was created with The Sims 2 engine. The characters certainly have that distinctive doll-like look that marks the Sims’ overall aesthetic. But the way the guys over at Burnt Coffee Productions were able to create a moody and dark look in a game that is mostly known for its brightly lit environments shows that machinimators are not confined by the mis en scene of the original game. It’s the equivalent of taking the Friends’ sound-stage and shooting an episode of 24 with it.

The titular character provides the main narrative thrust of the series, providing back stories and witty quips in the same Duchovnyesque drone. The story though rather cryptic takes a familiar direction (I advise watching all three if you really want to make sense of it all). A hired gun, several double crosses, beautiful women in harms way, all things we have seen before elsewhere. However, the series’ look, which is beautifully shot makes it compelling, and the protagonist’s nonchalance takes on less of a Bond arrogance and more of a Tyler Durden nihilism. Upon being captured and beaten he awakens tied to a chair and muses: “Naked. Clueless. Without Cigarettes. This is how bad days begin.” Though the film sits within the thriller/spy genre, the thing I would closest compare it to would be the early Aeon Flux due to its convoluted narrative and use of voice-over.