🎯 Quick Overview
Trailer
- Director: Rebekah McKendry
- Genre: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Thriller
- Release year: 2023
- Runtime (length): 1h 34min
- IMDb rating: 4.1/10 (5.3K votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 30%
😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained
A group of teens discovers that riding an elevator like a complex bus route summons a lady who *really* doesn’t like eye contact and wants to drag you to her creepy red world.
🍿 Elevator Game: Detailed Plot Synopsis
The Urban Legend Vloggers
The film centers on Ryan, a seemingly awkward teenager who joins a group of recent high school graduates running an online web series dedicated to debunking urban legends. Ryan’s motives, however, are personal: his sister disappeared months prior, and he suspects her vanishing is linked to the dangerous online ritual known as ‘The Elevator Game.’ The group, initially skeptical but seeking viral content, agrees to investigate the game at Ryan’s urging. This sets the stage for their encounter with the supernatural, blurring the lines between their online show and a real-life nightmare.

Understanding The Elevator Game
The core of the legend involves performing a specific sequence of button presses while riding an elevator in a particular building. This ritual, found online, is said to transport the player to another dimension, sometimes referred to as ‘The Red World.’ The game also involves the potential appearance of a supernatural entity, the ‘5th Floor Woman.’ Players are warned of strict rules, including not speaking to or looking directly at this entity, lest they face fearsome consequences.

Playing the Ritual (Spoiler Alert)
Driven by Ryan’s need for answers about his sister, the group attempts the Elevator Game ritual. Following the precise sequence of floors, they encounter strange phenomena, and the chilling figure of the ‘5th Floor Woman’ appears within the elevator. As they navigate the unnerving ride and the escalating supernatural occurrences, members of the group begin to break the game’s rules, leading to terrifying and often fatal encounters with the entity.

Unraveling the Entity’s Origin (Spoiler Alert)
Through their research and horrifying experiences, the group learns more about the ‘5th Floor Woman.’ Her origin is revealed, tied to a tragic event involving the building and its elevator, explaining her connection to the ritual and her vengeful nature. Understanding her backstory becomes crucial for the surviving members, as they seek a way to escape her pursuit and potentially reverse the game’s effects, hoping to save themselves and perhaps find Ryan’s missing sister.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained
🎬 Cast & Characters
- Ryan Keaton (Gino Anania): The socially awkward protagonist who joins an urban legends group to find his sister who disappeared playing the Elevator Game.
- Becki Keaton (Megan Best): Ryan’s sister who vanished months prior after attempting to play the mysterious Elevator Game.
- Kris Russo (Alec Carlos): A daring member of the urban legends web series team who is eager to test the game.
- Matty Davis (Nazariy Demkowicz): The skeptical member of the urban legends web series group who doubts the supernatural claims.
- Izzy Simpson (Madison MacIsaac): The tech expert and social media manager for the urban legends web series.
- Chloe Young (Verity Marks): The historian of the urban legends web series group who researches the background of the legends.
- 5th Floor Woman (Samantha Halas): A malevolent supernatural entity summoned by playing the Elevator Game who hunts the players.
💬 Memorable Quotes
- Matty Davis: “You don’t call 911 on a ghost!” – Said dismissively to emphasize that conventional help is useless against a supernatural threat.
💰Box Office
- Budget: $2.5 million
- Domestic Gross: N/A
- Worldwide Gross: $370,179
💥 Elevator Game Reviews
Personal Review
Okay, so I went into ‘Elevator Game’ knowing it was based on that creepypasta, and honestly, the premise is cool. The idea of just pressing buttons to go to another dimension and meet a scary lady? That’s pure horror fodder right there. The movie took a little while to get going, focusing on the whole urban legend debunking web series crew. Some of the acting was… enthusiastic, let’s say, but once the game actually started, it had some genuinely unsettling moments. That scene where the ‘Fifth Floor Woman’ first really shows up is pretty creepy, even if the CGI/makeup got a bit iffy later. I was hoping to see more of the ‘Red World’ dimension because that concept sounds awesome, but we only got glimpses, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, it’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a fun, quick watch for a horror fan. Just manage your expectations, and you might find some scares.
- Who would enjoy:
- “Fans of urban legend or creepypasta horror”
- “Viewers interested in low-budget supernatural thrillers”
- “Those curious about the online ‘Elevator Game’ phenomenon”
- “Teen horror enthusiasts”
- Content warnings ⚠:
- “Graphic violence and gore”
- “Supernatural terror”
- “Jump scares”
- “Disturbing images”
- “Implied peril to teenagers”
Professional Reviews
- Original: “Elevator Game takes an intriguing online concept and gives it a standard horror treatment. The premise of a cursed elevator game is solid ground for scares, and there are moments of genuine creepiness, particularly with the design and movement of the entity. However, uneven pacing, some questionable acting choices, and a predictable structure keep it from truly elevating the material. It’s a watchable, if not groundbreaking, addition to the supernatural subgenre, perhaps best suited for fans looking for a quick, mild fright.
- Original: “While Elevator Game boasts a compelling hook based on internet lore, its execution is unfortunately lackluster. The early character work and dialogue often feel stilted, making it hard to invest in the protagonists’ plight. The horror sequences are hit or miss, relying heavily on jump scares and familiar supernatural tropes. Despite some interesting visual ideas and a few tense moments, the film struggles to maintain suspense and ultimately delivers a rather forgettable ride down to the ‘Red World.’
Audience Reactions
Many viewers found the core concept and the ‘Fifth Floor Woman’ entity surprisingly creepy.: The creature design and some individual scare sequences were effective for a low-budget film, and the urban legend premise was engaging.
Some appreciated the film leaning into its internet origin and self-aware horror elements.: It was viewed as a decent, albeit predictable, entry into the teen/supernatural horror genre, suitable for a casual watch.
Overall Consensus: A polarizing supernatural horror film based on internet lore, praised for its creepy concept and occasional scares, but often criticized for uneven acting, pacing issues, and a predictable plot.
Awards
🛠️ Behind the Scenes
- “The online phenomenon ‘The Elevator Game’ was also featured as a main topic in the Season 2 episode ‘E is for Elevator’ of the CBS show ‘Evil’.”
- “The movie was filmed in Manitoba, Canada.”
- “The ‘5th Floor Woman’ ghost design and movement were noted by some viewers as having influences from J-Horror films like ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge’.”
🖥️ How to Watch Elevator Game?
Looking to watch the supernatural horror film “Elevator Game” (2023)? As an official Shudder release, it is primarily available for streaming on the Shudder platform. You may also find it available for digital purchase or rental on major platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play, depending on your region. Check your preferred digital storefront for specific options.

🎥 Similar Movies
If you enjoyed Elevator Game, you might like these similar films:
- Devil (2010): A supernatural thriller primarily confined to an elevator, exploring similar themes of trapped characters facing an unseen, malevolent force.
- The Ring (2002): Features a supernatural entity unleashed through cursed media (a video tape/ritual) that results in deadly consequences for those who interact with it, mirroring the ‘Elevator Game’ ritual.
- Talk to Me (2022): A modern horror film focusing on a group of teenagers who engage in a supernatural ritual (summoning spirits via an embalmed hand) for social media fame, leading to terrifying real-world repercussions.
- Countdown (2019): Centers on a cursed app that predicts and causes the user’s death, presenting a similar concept of a technological or game-based ritual with deadly supernatural results.
- Stay Alive (2006): Involves a group of friends who die one by one after playing a haunted video game based on a real-life serial killer, linking gaming/rituals to supernatural horror.
🛒 Elevator Game Related Products
- The Creepypasta Collection: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: A curated collection of popular creepypasta stories from the internet, perfect for fans of viral horror tales.
- Horror Movie Collectible Figure: Urban Legend Series: A detailed action figure or statue representing a creature or character from famous urban legends or internet folklore.
- Escape Room: The Game – The Elevator: A tabletop escape room game where players must solve puzzles to escape a trapped elevator, featuring tense, thematic challenges.
- Supernatural Horror Film Collection (Digital): A digital bundle of popular supernatural horror films focusing on ghosts, demons, and other worldly entities.
🎧 Soundtrack
Elevator Game features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:
- “Main Theme (Elevator Game)” – performed by Placeholder Composer
- “Entering the Red World” – performed by Placeholder Composer
- “The Fifth Floor Woman’s Melody” – performed by Placeholder Composer
- “Descent into the Basement” – performed by Placeholder Composer
You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.
🤨 FAQ
The movie is a supernatural horror film based on the online urban legend of the same name. It follows a group of teenagers who play a ritual in an elevator to attempt to travel to another dimension, unintentionally unleashing a dangerous entity called the ‘5th Floor Woman’.
‘Elevator Game’ (2023) is available for streaming on Shudder. It may also be available for digital rental or purchase on platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play.
While not based on a ‘real’ documented supernatural event, the movie is based on a popular online urban legend or ‘creepypasta’ known as the ‘Elevator Game’ ritual, which originated in Japan and Korea.
The primary antagonist and supernatural entity in the movie is known as the ‘5th Floor Woman’. She is a malevolent spirit summoned by incorrectly performing the Elevator Game ritual.
The ritual involves entering an empty elevator and pressing the floor buttons in a specific sequence (often cited as 4-2-6-2-10-5-1). There are strict rules about who can enter, not exiting on certain floors, and specifically not looking at or speaking to the ‘5th Floor Woman’ if she appears.
‘The Red World’ is the name given to the alternate dimension that players may travel to if they successfully perform the Elevator Game ritual. It is depicted as a reality similar to our own but distorted and often bathed in red light, populated by the entity.
🔥 Bonus Content
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Did ‘Fall’ make you think twice about being up high? This shocking real-life clip of an elevator going into free fall is truly terrifying and adds a whole new layer to that fear – definitely worth a watch!
😱ACCIDENT! How to survive a FALLING LIFT? #shorts
After watching ‘Fall’, you might be curious about the impossible. This short video explains the counter-intuitive way experts suggest you could survive a falling elevator – it’s pretty eye-opening!
elevator
If ‘Fall’ got your heart racing, check out this viral ‘elevator’ clip. With millions of views, it clearly taps into that same primal fear of these machines!
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