Directed by Salima Coloma, Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia is, at first glance, similar to many other recent rise and fall stories that describe Silicon Valley’s arrogant rise and Icarian-like fall in sensational terms. looks like. Startups, social media platforms, mobile phone makers and even video game developers.
The story of HQ Trivia, a short-lived smartphone quiz game that was popular for about six months starting in the winter of 2017, shares some superficial similarities with “The Social Network” and this year’s fantastic “Blackberry.” I’m here. In addition to the relationship conflict between HQ co-founder Ras Yusupov and Colin Kroll, who died of a drug overdose in December 2018, the genre has become a hallmark. The familiar corporate strife, financial drama, and sleazy tactics for power are also depicted. Big egos collided. Fortunes grew and disappeared. And all of it has a real-life Game of Thrones-esque thrill to the outside observer.
But the documentary “Glitch” is cleverer and more artful than some of its contemporaries dramatized by painting with numbers, and the story it tries to tell has inspired a novel app2. It is more interesting and complicated than the battle of the domineering egoists of man. Coloma has shrewdly positioned its headquarters in several interlocking contexts, from the history of TV game shows to the long evolutionary landscape of social media and mobile his video streaming. She understands that this Live Her Trivia her app aims to truly revolutionize broadcasting, and she sees its accomplishments (and its potential) in that light and makes a compelling case. .
She also gets a lot of intellectual miles from insightful and interesting people, notably Taylor Lorenz, a former New York Times journalist who talks about this bizarre case. controversy His unconventional charisma and almost outdated showman pattern, around publishing HQ-related puff pieces with mediating glee and former HQ host Scott Rogowski, made him a beloved star of the app. It’s just as fun here as it was then. Ultimately, the documentary strikes a bewildering tone that’s perfect for its weird, weirdly fun subject matter, perfectly summed up in Rogowski’s sharp final words: “Oh, it all really happened.” .
Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Look at Max.
