Zero Charisma (2013)

(On Cable TV, June 2021) Geekdom isn’t what it used to be a few decades ago: there are more things to be geeky about, different ways in which to express passion, and as a result the very concept of geekdom is (thankfully) becoming less meaningful. Everyone can find something to be passionate about, and when the mainstream itself has become profoundly geeky (just look at the yearly box-office Top-10), there’s a sense that the geeks have won. But Zero Charisma is not about a winning geek. It’s about a quasi-caricature of an old-school geek, unhealthily focused on tabletop role-playing games. When our protagonist is the Game Master, he lords over the dinner table: deciding the fate of the players, writing reams of material for the sole purpose of the gaming sessions. But it’s just about passion; otherwise, we may have had a likable lead. Oh no — this protagonist is an angry immature outcast, the kind of which will be traumatically familiar to anyone with an acquaintance with any local fandom. Much of Zero Charisma is spent demonstrating his shortcomings, especially when a far more socially adept player is invited in the gaming group and starts showing that there are other better ways to play. The social descent of the lead is rather amusing to watch, especially as he coerces others, blatantly lies, makes a series of entirely avoidable faux pas, and sees the externalities of his existence being cut off. The only problem is — what do you do afterwards for a climax? The Hollywood formula would see significant character evolution, leading to the protagonist emerging as a beautiful butterfly from the crucible. Alas, Zero Charisma’s writer-director Andrew Matthews drops the ball when it comes to its third act — Threats and physical aggression from the protagonist go unpunished, with one person rushing to his help as he beats up his “nemesis.”  Words are exchanged. Cut to the protagonist in a marginally better job, better mood and (by implication) a better situation — but there’s a whole act dropped here that makes the conclusion unearned and terrible behaviour rewarded. It’s more than enough to sour viewers on the entire film: it feels incomplete, and overly enamoured of its repellent protagonist. Sam Eidson’s performance as the deeply unpleasant lead is remarkable and perhaps a bit too good at times. But he can’t really save a script that doesn’t quite know how to wrap itself up. Too bad, because Zero Charisma does have the lingo down pat, and quite a few remarkable scenes along the way. But when it can’t bring it all up to a decent climax, much of it is for naught.