Gerard Butler’s “Ultra-Violent” Dystopian Sci-Fi Action Thriller Blasts Its Way Onto New Streaming Home
No one can ever say that Gerard Butler’s movies are lacking in the action department. From 300 and Law Abiding Citizen, to Den of Thieves and Olympus Has Fallen, the Scottish actor has seemingly shot his way through every bad guy imaginable. Case in point: Butler’s 2009 dystopian sci-fi action thriller that saw him portray a death row prisoner being controlled by a 17-year-old kid in a futuristic video game called Slayers.
If you haven’t guessed by now, we’re talking about the sci-fi action movie, Gamer. Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (the same duo that brought us Crank and Crank 2: High Voltage), this adrenaline-fueled flick is coming to Peacock on Jan. 1, 2026, giving fans a chance to relive all the mindless fun of one of Butler’s cult favorites. While it certainly didn’t win any awards, Gamer is an over-the-top thrill ride that’s super violent and, yes, kind of trashy, but that’s what helps make it such a joy to sit through.
Also starring Michael C. Hall as the completely unhinged villain, Ken Castle, as well as Logan Lerman, Ludacris, Amber Valletta, Terry Crews, Alison Lohman, John Leguizamo, Sam Witwer, Zoë Bell, and Kyra Sedgwick, Gamer hit theaters on Sept 4, 2009. Unfortunately, the film failed to earn back its $50 million production budget, making just $42 million during its run in cinemas. Panned by critics, it holds just a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from those who called it “undeserved torture,” “incoherent,” and “a big, loud mess.” The official synopsis for Gamer reads:
“Each week Kable (Butler), a death-row inmate, battles his fellow prisoners in a violent online game called Slayers, his every move controlled by a young gamer’s remote device. To the players, Kable and the other inmates are just simulated characters. But, to a resistance group that opposes the game’s inventor, Kable is a critical component of their plan to end the inventor’s form of high-tech slavery.”
‘Gamer’ Is Much Better Than People Think
Gerard Butler in GamerLionsgate
As with most sci-fi-action thrillers that are heavy on violence and light on story, Gamer received mixed reviews from fans. It has an audience score of just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 5.7/10 rating on IMDb. While some appreciated its topical themes about reality TV, desensitization, and the loss of individual freedom, others felt it was an interesting concept destroyed by poor acting and ultra-violent sequences.
That being said, Gamer is still a fun movie that you shouldn’t shy away from based on its bad reviews. If you’re looking for a movie that you can just sit down and enjoy from start to finish without much brainpower, the sci-fi thriller is definitely one you’ll want to check out if you’ve never seen it. Who knows, it might just become your new favorite Butler movie. As one person on Rotten Tomatoes put it:
“This movie is way better than it’s given credit for. Yeah, it’s a little out there, but it was still a decent movie. Way better than many movies I’ve seen with high ratings.”
Look for Gamer to stream on its new home of Peacock starting Jan. 1 2026.
Release Date
September 3, 2009
Runtime
95 minutes
Director
Brian Taylor
