HOLLYWOOD—Have you wanted to see a good movie for adults? Well, I have one for you, it’s the Netflix thriller “Fair Play” and man is this a hot burn, thrill-a-minute, intense chaos and performances that are stellar and shocking at the same time. When I first heard about this flick, it hinted at a sexy thriller. Yes, there is sex in this movie; there is epic chemistry between Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily. They are a couple working at a One Crest Capital, a competitive hedge fund where it is a battlefield. On top one day, out the next.
Emily and Luke are secretly seeing one another, and when the audience meets them we see the simmering chemistry between the characters, who head to the bathroom during the wedding of Luke’s brother and something shocking and disgusting at the same time unfolds. It is there you immediately know this is about to be something fun. Emily and Luke really highlight those butterflies you feel at the beginning of a relationship or once you realize this is something special. You want to be with your significant other, the sex is great and the lust you have for them cannot be tamed.
“Fair Play” really examines relationships in the workplace and how they can be dangerous. Luke and Emily are great at first, but when the power dynamics shift the relationship changes quickly. Luke and Emily are on the same playing field, until a promotion that Luke was expecting goes to Emily and it changes everything. Luke is emasculated to a degree and feels like less of a man because his fiancé is now his boss, but she doesn’t wield it in a way that is evil or wicked. She wants Luke to be successful, but Luke while trying to be supportive shows he is quite jealous of Emily’s position at the firm.
Luke feels like he is sabotaging Emily purposely to get back at her for getting a promotion that he deemed should have been his and it’s a game of tic for tac between this so called couple that soon becomes toxic. They are NOT spending time together, they are not being intimate, they are arguing, both are drinking to deal with their problems and having to dance around their relationship at work only creates more tension.
Ehrenreich and Dynevor deliver stellar performances. Would I personally consider them for awards season? Without a doubt because these performances are commanding and the layers that are shed by Ehrenreich as we see Luke fall deeper and deeper into despair is amazing to witness. Dynevor brings softness to her character in the beginning that slowly indicates she is grabbing her confidence as the narrative moves along.
“Fair Play” really highlights issues of toxic masculinity in the workplace and how at times women are forced to play as one of the boys to unfortunately climb the corporate ladder. Dirty talk, sexual harassment is part of the culture and sometimes people want to shush it instead of actually addressing it as an actual issue. This movie took me on a ride with its narrative and I just got in the passenger seat and went along for the chaos that was thrown my way up until the flabbergasting climax that you cannot believe you’re watching and that ending that made me think: oh, is this really about to happen. Trust me “Fair Play” is NOT a movie you want to miss, easily the best drama and thriller I’ve seen in years.
