thebitterguy

Making a documentary on pop culture has many dangers, from nostalgia to smugness and condescension. The Dungeon Masters is a rare example of a film that avoids all of these pitfalls and portrays characters rich in complexity. It follows three Dungeons and Dragons gamers living in unglamorous corners of lower-middle-class America. Over the course of one year, we see how their real-life aspirations are fuelled by the worlds of their imaginations. Scott, whose self-deprecating humour has not translated into success as a budding novelist, struggles to support his wife and son. Elizabeth, an attractive twenty-three-year-old who dresses as a dark elf, seeks companionship after a failed marriage. Richard, who has a penchant for killing make-believe characters, aspires to reconnect with the real stepson he abandoned. Even if you find it hard to identify with the role-playing fantasy lives of these individuals, it's easy to empathize with their human selves.