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5.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Mad Game remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for pre-code crime dramas or just want to watch Spencer Tracy act circles around everyone else in the room, then sure, fire it up. But if you’re looking for a tight, logical script, you’re gonna be annoyed. It’s for the folks who like their 1930s noir a little messy and rough around the edges.
Honestly, the whole setup is pretty ridiculous. You take a bootlegger, put him in the big house, and then expect him to solve a high-stakes kidnapping case just because the judge asks nicely? It’s a bit of a reach.
There’s this weird energy to the movie where it’s trying to be a serious thriller, but the dialogue keeps tripping over itself. Sometimes the pacing feels like a sprint, and other times we’re just watching people walk through doorways for what feels like an eternity. Spencer Tracy really sells it, though. Even when the script gives him nothing to work with, his eyes tell a better story than the actual lines.
I couldn't help but think about how much more grounded something like Billy the Kid feels compared to this. Maybe it's just the black and white, but the stakes here feel almost cartoonish at times.
One reaction shot of the judge lasts way too long. I swear he was just staring into the middle distance while the director waited for someone to yell cut. It’s distracting, but kind of funny in a weird way.
It’s not perfect. It’s not even really that consistent. But there is a certain charm to how much they’re trying to pack into an hour and change. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Mechanical Man, where things just happen because the story needs them to, not because they make sense. 🤷♂️
Don’t go in expecting a masterpiece. Go in for the scowls, the trench coats, and the feeling that everyone involved was just trying to get the scene done before lunch.
