The Wager is a 1998

1998 in film

-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...

 short film, running approximately 19 minutes. The film was directed by Aaron Woodley, and it starred Peter Blais

Peter Blais

Peter Blais is a Canadian actor, born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada who has been in a number of made-for-TV movies and television series. He has won a Golden Sheaf Award for "Best Performance - Male" in The Wager, and in 1999 he was nominated for a Gemini Award for "Best Performance by an Actor in a...

, Barclay Hope

Barclay Hope

-Life and career:Hope was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the brother of actor William Hope. Hope appeared in the TV series Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal as Peter Axon...

, and Valerie Boyle. Denise Cronenberg

Denise Cronenberg

Denise Cronenberg is a costume designer born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is the sister of Canadian film director David Cronenberg and the mother of Aaron Woodley, also a filmmaker.-Works:* The Fly * Dead Ringers...

was the film's executive producer.

Synopsis

A dark and humorous suspense drama which begins late one night as Richard is entering his apartment. He encounters an odd man dressed in his underwear and holding a box. The stranger proposes a series of morbid wagers referring to what may be hiding within. Each one is more disturbing and profound than the previous, and all lead toward a life-or-death gamble and a startling, unexpected conclusion.