“The Most Dangerous Game,” released as a streaming series in 2020, was a unique experience as far as storytelling formats are concerned. The whole series was divided into 15 episodes, each having a duration of roughly 7 minutes. The plot revolved around a deadly “game” involving several ‘hunters’ and an out-of-luck hunter, going at it for 24 hours in the city, and the latter taking away the prize if he survived.
It’s quite a crazy but interesting premise, which is why the creator, Nick Santora, is back with a second installment “The Most Dangerous Game: New York” having 12 episodes; each episode being roughly 10 mins in duration. Set in New York this time, as the name suggests, the hunted one this time is a small-time boxer with a younger sister who gets herself entangled in a messy business involving a Russian mobster. To get her out of the mess, the boxer agrees to participate, and so begins the game of death, turning the city of New York into a modern-day Colosseum, the only difference being that instead of gladiators, the participants here are a bunch of crazy man-hunters who willingly bid in order to hunt the chosen prey. As the twist goes on, the hunters become the hunted as things go awry. “The Most Dangerous Game: New York” has an impressive cast. Let’s take a look:
Spoilers Ahead
Christoph Waltz As Miles Sellars
The talented Christoph Waltz reprises his role as Miles Sellars, the agent for the Tiro Fund, who is responsible for procuring the suitably attired “prey” for the game and making sure everything goes smoothly. He is authoritative but manipulative, and he bows to no one except his superiors. Christoph Waltz, who shot to world fame with Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” portraying the charismatic Nazi Detective Hans Landa, plays the part to perfection. A two-time Academy Award winner, Waltz received his first Oscar for his portrayal of Hans Landa and grabbed his second Oscar for enriching the screen with his portrayal of Dr. King Schulz in Tarantino’s revenge epic “Django Unchained.” Later he also went on to expand his fandom by appearing as ‘Blofeld,’ the adversary to Bond in the latest two James Bond films, “Spectre” and “No Time to Die.” He was recently seen in the T.V. show “The Consultant,” Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” and voiced Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio.”
David Castaneda As Victor Sueros
David Castaneda stars as Victor Sueros, a perfect candidate for the “hunt,” for he is a boxer, a fighter, and above all else, he loves his younger sister, who is in grave danger and whom he has to get out of trouble at any cost. Castaneda started his career by playing bit parts in series such as “Lie to Me,” “Southland,” and the acclaimed Jake Gyllenhaal starrer cop-drama “End of Watch.” After this, he gained traction playing Jorge Castillo in the series “Switched at Birth.” Recently, David Castaneda has starred in movies such as Stefano Sollima’s “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and had a great run playing ‘Diego Hargreeves’ in the Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy.”
Anna Gunn As The Boss
Anna Gunn surprises us with her dead-serious persona and her stern behavior as the head of the Tiro Fund, the organization behind all the death and destruction. Anna Gunn is best known for portraying Skyler White, the wife of chemistry teacher-turned-crystal meth kingpin Walter White, in A.M.C.’s “Breaking Bad.” She has also played Jean Ward in the T.V. series “The Practice” and Martha Bullock in “Deadwood.”
Martina Ortiz Luis As Josie
Martina Ortiz Luis plays Josie, the feisty yet caring younger sister to Victor. She lost both her parents to a house fire and now supports her brother both in the boxing ring and in life. In order to get better pay, however, she gets entangled in a mob business, which can have deadly consequences. In a relatively short career, Martina Ortiz Luis has bagged roles in shows such as “Grand Amy,” “Wynonna Earp,” and “Topline.”
Ciara Quinn Bravo As Tina
Ciara Quinn Bravo plays Tina, the head of the screening team responsible for scouting the best candidate for the “game hunt.” She is focused and determined but is shot down on occasion by his boss, Miles. Ciara Quinn Bravo began her career as a child actress, starring in the Nickelodeon series “Big Time Rush” and the Fox series “Red Band Society.” She also appeared in the Nickelodeon television films “Jinxed” and “Swindle.” She is gearing up for the big leagues by making appearances in big shows like “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “Wayne.”
“The Most Dangerous Game: New York” works both as a two-hour film and as a binge-worthy series. The original installment was released on a now-defunct streaming service, so the second season seemed to be shelved, but with Roku buying most of the defunct service’s products, this series got a chance for a second run. It’s a Christoph Waltz show all the way, with strong performances by David Castaneda and the rest. The series is streaming on Roku.