1UP
Directed by Kyle Newman
After Valerie Lee quits her college esports team, she quickly realizes that her decision comes at the cost of her scholarship. Valerie soon discovers a loophole to save her collegiate future, if she can find a coach and assemble a whole new varsity-caliber team capable of reaching the State Finals.
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1UP Ratings & Reviews
- Callum5 November 2025⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 1-Up – Leveling the Playing Field 1-Up is one of those films that caught flak for all the wrong reasons. Many viewers dismissed it as a “girl-gamer” gimmick, when in truth it’s a refreshingly honest look at what happens when women try to carve out a space in an industry — and culture — that’s still learning how to share. It’s a movie that dares to say girls can frag just as hard as the boys, and sometimes better. The story follows a group of women forced to prove themselves in the brutal world of collegiate e-sports. They’re not just battling opponents, but stereotypes, egos, and the tired notion that their skill somehow needs a qualifier. Jenna — the standout — is wheelchair-bound, sharp-witted, and a walking (well, rolling) reminder that determination and adaptability are the true meta of any game. Watching her dominate from her rig gives the film real heart beyond its feminist message. It’s not subtle about its point, and yes, the feminist thread can feel heavy-handed in spots, but that doesn’t make it wrong. The film’s real charm lies in its honesty — it’s a gamer movie through and through, full of energy, rivalries, ridiculous stakes, and enough pixelated ego to fill a Discord server. Underneath the memes and bravado, though, it’s about belonging: about finding your party, your voice, and your confidence in a space that doesn’t always welcome you. For better or worse, 1-Up plays its stereotypes straight — and sometimes that’s exactly what it needs to do. Because, as in real life, most of them didn’t come from nowhere. 🥤 Pairing: A neon-pink energy drink — sweet, caffeinated chaos in a can, unapologetically loud and proud to stand out in a sea of generic blue bottles.
- Wizard of Media18 August 20251UP tries to push a feminist message onto gaming culture, but it does so in a way that feels utterly disconnected from the reality of today’s gaming world. From the very beginning, the film paints male gamers as socially awkward, condescending, and borderline tyrannical—portraying them as “simp” types who are completely out of touch. Meanwhile, female characters are cast as the voice of reason, positioned as the more rational, level-headed “norms.” It’s hard to take a movie seriously when it leans so heavily into these outdated, one-dimensional stereotypes. Yes, the gaming world had a rough start, and it was largely shaped by cultural factors that made it a male-dominated space. But this is no longer the case. Gaming has evolved, and today it is one of the most inclusive and diverse communities out there, with players of all genders, backgrounds, and identities. Sure, there are still areas where improvement is needed—no community is perfect. But the truth is, the vast majority of gamers are respectful, inclusive, and welcoming. The toxic groups that still exist are a tiny minority and are far removed from the culture at large. As someone who’s been gaming for over a decade with both male and female friends, I can tell you that the reality of gaming today is far removed from the film’s portrayal. Sure, there’s plenty of teasing and playful banter—frustrations do come up when you're deep in the heat of a match—but that’s all part of the camaraderie. There’s nothing toxic about it, and it’s all in good fun. Players may trash-talk in the moment, but they’re genuinely good to each other once the game ends. 1UP, however, goes overboard by painting male gamers as tyrannical overlords and reducing them to condescending creeps by about the 12-minute mark. It’s not just inaccurate, it’s frustrating to watch as someone who’s spent years building friendships in a community that is, for the most part, nothing like the one-dimensional nightmare this movie presents.
- tellum29 May 2025Extremely forgettable movie because a large percentage of it is people pretending to play video games. I am not exaggerating that showing the actors facing a screen the audience can’t see, while mindlessly tapping a keyboard and clicking a mouse, is basically the film as a whole. The only memorable scenes are the end where poor CGI “game footage” is shown, and a trans person makes an offensive anti trans joke.
1UP Trivia
1UP was released on 8 July 2022.
1UP was directed by Kyle Newman.
1UP has a runtime of 1h 40m.
1UP was produced by Jason Moring, Michael Philip, Richard Alan Reid.
After Valerie Lee quits her college esports team, she quickly realizes that her decision comes at the cost of her scholarship. Valerie soon discovers a loophole to save her collegiate future, if she can find a coach and assemble a whole new varsity-caliber team capable of reaching the State Finals.
The key characters in 1UP are Vivian (V) (Paris Berelc), Parker (Ruby Rose), Sloane (Hari Nef).
1UP is rated 15.
1UP is a Comedy, Sport film.
1UP has an audience rating of 4.4 out of 10.
1UP has made US$2,379 at the box office.