It’s rare to see a movie that doesn’t portray geek & nerd stereotypes that Big Bang Theory has reinforced since its inception. Too often are we played up as two dimensional characters whose purpose is purely for comedy, usually at the expense of our culture. That’s where writer / co-director Andrew Mathews comes in and shines a light on a group of table top players who fit the roles that real players know all too well.
Filled with deep references only a 10th level Wizard would know, Zero Charisma is a comedy that pokes fun at its characters without making fun of them, at the same time addressing personal issues among friends and challenging issues to geek culture. In the film, Scott, a self-obsessed and rageful 30-something, has been GM’ing a weekly gaming group for years. Over that time he has forged a story of epic proportions, so epic in fact that it is the only thing that matters in his life.
First debuted at South by Southwest, Zero Charisma carried a rumbling with it wherever it went, and now thanks to Nerdist Industries, it’s come to select theaters and VOD wherever you can find it. Written by Andrew Mathews and directed by Katie Graham and Mathews, the film comes from the same genuine geekness as films like The Gamers. While written for a niche group, the story is still fairly compelling as Scott deals with the dismemberment of his regular gaming group and the intrusion of a new comer that is changing everything.
What the film does well is portraying its characters in a real 3-dimensional light. Scott’s faithful sidekick Miles yearns to find a girlfriend and begin a relationship. As if his own insecurities aren’t hard enough to get over, the self absorbed Scott tries to discourage him, secretly fearful of losing such a devoted follower.
Another interesting character introduced as Scott’s adversary is the hipster Wayne. Confident, successful, and “cool”, Wayne quickly wins over the table’s affections and challenges Scott’s overbearing style of GM’ing. On the surface, Wayne looks to be everything the other players would like to be, and his support of the other character’s side projects wins them over when they’re forced to choose between what they’ve known and what could be.
Playing in the background of the movie is the drama of Scott’s life away from the table. While Scott’s an insufferable asshole the whole movie, Mathews and Graham manage to create genuine sympathy for him as he seems to get as badly as he gives. It makes the audience begin to want Scott to take responsibility for what he’s done and make an active change to improve his life.
The ending is a bit ambiguous and not as well defined as some would like. There’s no clear resolution, and little character development as most characters aren’t far from where they began. It makes for a great beginning, but a muddled ending to the film. A clearer stance from the film regarding who is truly the bad guy and who’s the good guy would make for a more satisfying ending. Despite that, Zero Charisma still holds up as all too familiar for just about anyone who’s rocked a set of polyhedrals. It’s honest depiction of table top players isn’t disparaging, it instead goes beyond the veil to show the game as a fantastical time with friends and what happens when someone takes it too seriously.
Available now on iTunes and in select theaters.