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Backgammon

Backgammon

201589 minTV-14Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Director
Francisco Orvañanos
Starring
Brittany Allen, Olivia Crocicchia, Noah Silver, Christian Alexander

When Lucian and Miranda are left alone in an isolated mansion for the weekend, their mutual attraction grows, as does their unease about the whereabouts of Miranda's ex-boyfriend who may be hiding somewhere in the house.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Backgammon?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Backgammon streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Highlights

What stands out about Backgammon?

Backgammon earns 1 badge: Award Nominee.

Reception

Is Backgammon worth watching?

Backgammon's Midcredits score is the 7th percentile of all films, from 343 ratings across 5 sources. 24% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

7th percentile

Better received than 7% of films

4th percentile among Drama8th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)4th
Approval (how many liked it)14th

40 /100

4th percentile of all films

2nd percentile among Drama5th percentile among 2010s

Critics 22 · Audience 42

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

24% liked it

14th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Drama14th percentile among 2010s
24% rated it 7–1076% rated it 1–6

Critics 0% · Audience 64%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

23rd percentile

320 ratings across platforms

23rd percentile among Drama27th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A two-person erotic drama set in a beautiful seaside mansion, with strong visual style but thin storytelling that fails to deliver on its premise.

Fans praised

  • strong lead performances and chemistry
  • atmospheric cinematography contrasting eerie exteriors and intimate interiors
  • suspenseful, emotionally engaging buildup

Detractors panned

  • overacted performances with no subtlety
  • pointless, aimless script with flat character arcs
  • pretentious, derivative erotic drama with no payoff

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive75

stunning exteriors and intimate shots, but fails to express obsessions

AtmosphereDivisive65

fans love eerie immersion; detractors find it unconvincing

ActingDivisive60

divisive: fans praise lead chemistry, detractors call it overacted

TensionDivisive50

fans feel edge-of-seat; detractors say no real stakes or payoff

CharactersDivisive40

fans find them intriguing; detractors say shallow and unmotivated

Emotional impactDivisive40

fans emotionally invested; detractors find no emotion

OriginalityDivisive35

derivative erotic drama with pretentious musings

Plot and storyDivisive30

fans find unpredictable; detractors call pointless and predictable

Watch experience

What is Backgammon like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

A taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Single location · 5% of films: Confined to essentially one place throughout.
ToneBackgammon holds its material straight — a serious, moody psychosexual drama that plays its tension and seduction without irony.
The rideThe mood builds tension and unease throughout, with the emotional weight heaviest in the final act where the crisis around the missing ex-boyfriend comes to a head.
StructureThe story unfolds in conventional order, almost entirely within the single isolated mansion, as a two-hander between the couple.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with the unease of its unresolved mind games and the eerie atmosphere of the isolated house.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTwo people are sealed in an isolated mansion with the lurking possibility of a hidden ex-boyfriend, and the story is driven by the question of what is really happening — an erotic mind game that may or may not conceal a threat.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on the consuming attraction between Lucian and Miranda and the manipulative mind games that emerge as they become fixated on each other and on the hidden ex-boyfriend.
StanceThe film questions the nature of obsession and mutual attraction, presenting them as dangerous and destabilizing without endorsing or celebrating them.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Bryan Senti
Settingan isolated mansion on the coast of Maine
MusicThe score creates an introspective, moody atmosphere that contrasts with the raw dialogue when it drops out.

Content guide

Is Backgammon okay for kids?

TV-14

Backgammon is rated TV-14. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its sexual content at mild (17/100). It has too few votes to rank yet.

Overall
needs 3 or more scored categories
not ranked
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Overall standing needs at least three scored categories; this title has 1.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Backgammon have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Backgammon?

Cast

Brittany Allen
as Miranda
Olivia Crocicchia
as Elizabeth
Noah Silver
as Lucian
Christian Alexander
as Andrew
Alex Beh
as Gerald

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Backgammon?

Movies like Backgammon include Based on a True Story (2017), The Weight of Water (2000) and The Alphabet Killer (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, half are chamber dramas, and most are films about obsession.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its feel: brooding. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Backgammon?

932 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: closed circle. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.