Program Note
In the world of popular mobile shooting strategy games, where rankings define one’s status, being low in rank means receiving little to no attention. The game world operates on the belief that rankings are everything, allowing even an average person like “U” to be treated with great hospitality in trendy clubs, all thanks to their high game ranking. With skills comparable to the famous pro-gamer “Peet”, many aspire to be in the top ranks of popular games, but leveling up in the games is a difficult task. This leads “U” to venture into the world of ‘boosting services’, where they can earn money by helping others improve their ranking. However, if they are boosting others instead of improving their own ranks, and if such activities are prohibited in the gaming world, is it okay for “U” to continue? Activities such as identity theft and account boosting are considered crimes in the real world, because the gaming industry’s profit model turns desires into assets.
The two directors of The Up Rank depict gamers immersed in gameplay, not within a flashy virtual reality fantasy enhanced by visual effects, but rather trapped in the shadows of a noir-esque reality, where “U” and their colleagues struggle to break free. (Angela LEE)