Game Over

Cleo and Jade are madly in love, but their Friday night takes a turn after a string of uncomfortable encounters. Game Over explores what it means to be a lesbian couple continuously sexualised and consumed by strangers. 

Cleo and Jade are at the arcade, engrossed in nostalgia, and each other, as they shoot zombies and win teddies. It’s wholesome, retro and they’re in their element. It’s hard to not fall in love with them as they flirt freely, enjoying each other. 

Once they embark on their journey home, multiple encounters force Cleo and Jade to shrink. A man stares at them on a bus, a drunk woman probes them in the street - each encounter has a different impact but they all cause a knock-on effect.  

What makes Game Over compelling is how Cleo and Jade react differently and how their opposite responses cause friction within their relationship. Cleo blocks it out as a survival response whereas Jade is ready to lash out. Who responds correctly? Should they ignore it or would fighting back change the situation? As they get more frustrated with their situation, and each other's reactions, the final encounter causes Cleo to reach breaking point. She lashes at a man who flies off the handle and truly threatens their safety… It’s explosive, dangerous and shocking. 

Back home, the couple are left reeling from the night. The microaggressions and the final blow have accumulated. It’s impossible to shake-off the unsafe world outside as they sit stunned, depleted and consumed.