Have you heard of “Emesis Blue?” If not, it’s probably because this movie is actually a YouTube video. Even with that label, it doesn’t destroy its standing as a full-length film. “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” dominated theaters this past summer. They are both great, but while many would consider one of them to be the best of 2023, there is a third contender that steals the spotlight.
“Emesis Blue” is a standalone adaptation of the first-person shooter game “Team Fortress 2.” For those unfamiliar with “TF2,” it’s fine to watch it without knowledge. It is a surprise to people how creator Chad Payne told a new story and created new characters from pre-existing ones.
In “Emesis Blue,” the events of “Team Fortress 2” are taking place: two sides, R.E.D. and B.L.U., are at war, which is like an average game of “TF2.” What you are watching is the downtime, though. Whenever the mercenaries aren’t killing each other, they’re living their lives. I say this contradictory statement because the game mechanic of respawning is integral.
To maximize efficiency and lower war costs, a respawn machine is constructed to revive a specific number of mercenaries after dying.
However, resurrecting repeatedly doesn’t guarantee being physically or mentally complete. Thus, classes are prescribed a strange medication, Emesis Diazepam, to forget the respawn sequence and its effects. The only thing that it can’t erase is the terror of the unimaginable.
The story is told from two sides. On one hand, you have Spy, who is a detective in this movie, and Soldier, his veteran-companion, who goes to investigate the kidnapping of the respawn machine’s creator. On the other, Medic (Dr. Ludwig) seeks the killer of a friend and his mother, leading to the same place the other protagonists are headed to. Once their paths connect, the story only gets stranger.
“Emesis Blue” is a step-up for animation in general. First, it’s rare to find a fan-made video game movie of this length and caliber. The movie is colorful and has a gritty aesthetic, which fits because there’s always something off.
In this regard, it’s like a neo-noir, but primarily a psychological horror. When the horror is on-screen, it’s the kind of nightmares that other nightmares would fear. A character says in the beginning, “Do you ever have bad dreams?” and the answer is definitely “Yes.”
The voice-acting is top-notch and really brings out the characters. Each actor sounds like the original ones from “TF2,” but given the context, it makes sense that everyone sounds serious and miserable—especially Scout, who in the game talks a lot of smack, but seeing him not doing so in this movie definitely means something is amiss.
A common trope in the movie is the loss of the grasp on reality. It can be hard to spot what’s real, and it’s entertainingly intense.
For example, someone might think they’re walking into a bar to chat with a deceased friend and unknowingly freeze to death in a freezer. Factor in supernatural and abnormal creatures, and it’s a dangerous fever dream.
Time loops also follow a similar route. Without saying how, it’s jaw-dropping to watch some characters’ experiences being caused by their biggest yet least expected enemy: themselves.
All of this follows one core message: inconclusiveness brings severe pain, even more so when tampering with the unknown.
Following this, “Emesis Blue” comments on the afterlife. Being able to live forever is a godsend if only there were no side effects to curse it, but what kind of torture do those receive that don’t quite get there? Would living forever remove the bliss of a happy ending, or maybe even prolong misery?
The fact that all of this was packed into a one-hour and forty-eight minute YouTube video is absolutely impressive and deserves praise—not just because of what was created, but because of what possibilities have opened. There have been other movie-length films used with Source Filmmaker, like “Darkest Days” by Danny Field that used “Left 4 Dead 2” assets to brilliantly create a zombie-apocalypse musical with licensed songs, but now there’s a new king to the throne.
That being said, “Emesis Blue” is the most important movie of 2023. It breaks down barriers in the film industry and doesn’t ever dull in any of its moments. It’s one wild trip into madness and paranoia, service for “TF2” fans, and, even better, a free movie that you can watch anywhere thanks to its place on YouTube.