Quintet (1979)

In a future suffocated by an unyielding ice age, humanity clings to existence within a once grand metropolis, now caught in the deathly grasp of a merciless glacier. This city, originally a sanctuary for five million souls, now echoes with the footsteps of the few who remain. Hundreds, maybe thousands, drift through their lifeless world, their fur-clad forms moving aimlessly against a backdrop of slowly crumbling steel and ice. Their survival hangs by a thread, sustained by scavenged firewood, a meager diet, and the intoxicating solace of booza — a potent drink distilled from moss. In this bleak existence, an innocuous board game for six players, Quintet, becomes their refuge. Yet, as the survivors will discover, this game conceals a far more sinister side. Among the city's cold and hungry inhabitants are roving packs of mastiffs, their feral instincts awakened by the scent of death that pervades the city's corridors. Into this grim tableau enter Essex and his pregnant wife Vivia, seal hunters from the south seeking refuge in the fading heart of the city. Their arrival marks the end of an era, as the last of the aquatic mammals they relied on for sustenance have been hunted to extinction. They find shelter with Essex's brother, a renowned Quintet player, within the city that has aged prematurely, its denizens all middle-aged or older. As the relentless glacier continues its assault, the newcomers are thrown into the dangerous underbelly of the city's culture, where Quintet is more than just a game. It's a deadly obsession played with living pieces, where victory is synonymous with survival. In this chilling dystopia, the line between life and game blurs, and survival is the only winning move.

Quintet is a science fiction movie featuring Paul Newman and directed by Robert Altman.

It is possible to buy Quintet on AMC on Demand, Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, Vudu and YouTube.