Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
Home Movie

‘Fair Play’ Review: A Limp Erotic Thriller

rmtsa by rmtsa
September 28, 2023
in Movie
0
‘Fair Play’ Review: A Limp Erotic Thriller
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

Lindsay Lohan on Being Pigeonholed With Acting Roles

Awesome JAWS Poster Art From Artist Tyler Stout Pays Tribute To Quint — GeekTyrant

10 Directors Who Cast the Same Actor in Every Movie

If there was any justice in the world, the rise of streaming would spark revivals of the genres that the traditional studios have abandoned — i.e. pretty much all of the ones that don’t involve superheroes or science-fiction. The erotic thriller (or really any picture that deals with matters of sexuality in a serious way) seems like exactly the sort of a movie that’s crying out for more attention on these platforms, which can be enjoyed in the comfort and privacy of one’s own home. So something like Fair Play, a thriller with a few modern twists, is a welcome addition on Netflix for that reason alone. I just wish it were a better execution of a very promising idea.

The idea: Financial analysts Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are a power couple in the making. They work together at a high-powered New York City hedge fund, dealing in stock transactions worth tens of millions of dollars. Unbeknownst to their co-workers, Emily and Luke are also a couple away from the office. As the film begins, Luke awkwardly proposes to Emily at a wedding, and she happily accepts. When their colleagues aren’t looking, they have an extremely active sex life. It seems like they’ve got it all figured out.

Reader, they do not have it all figured out. Turnover at their investment firm is high, and when Luke’s boss gets canned, Luke figures he should be in line to replace him. Instead, the company’s head honcho (Eddie Marsan) gives the job to Emily — meaning Luke has not only missed out on a promotion he believes he deserves, he now reports to his fiancé.

On paper, it’s the perfect setup for an exploration of gender and power dynamics in the modern workplace; a Disclosure without the incredibly silly finale involving bad virtual reality. But while Fair Play is definitely less silly than Disclosure it’s not much more serious — and it might actually be a lot less provocative. As over the top as ’90s thrillers were, at least they were admirably edgy in their themes (and, yes, sometimes pretty sexy as well).

In Fair Play, everything about this story feels like a fait accompli. Emily’s promotion doesn’t so much poison her relationship with Luke as it spontaneously combusts it; instead of watching their gradual decline, Luke almost immediately becomes a distant, resentful monster. Within minutes, he’s lost his confidence at work and in the bedroom, and becomes consumed with the teachings of a toxic self-help guru he finds on the internet. There’s very little suspense where things are headed, and not much tension.

It also feels a little disconnected from the world of Wall Street it’s supposedly exposing. Most of the key scenes involving Emily and Luke’s jobs proceed in similar fashion: A bunch of macho finance bros sit around a big conference table monologuing about fictional stocks — until Emily inevitably interrupts with some shocking information about some new development that only she has heard about, and everyone else in the room acts like a bomb just exploded at their feet. Fair Play was also largely shot in Belgrade, and takes place in a handful of swanky restaurants and shiny, glass-walled offices. The real New York flavor vital to this story is mostly missing.

READ MORE: The Most Watched Netflix Movies of the Year

Dynevor and Ehrenreich are both very easy on the eyes, and when the story allows — which is not that often — they do have chemistry together. Their final scenes crackle with a darker and more disturbing energy as well. But Fair Play’s middle section gives neither of them very much to do beyond a repetitive series of clashes, some passive-aggressive, some aggressive-aggressive, where Emily continues to climb the corporate ladder and Luke sinks deeper into self-loathing.

The mere existence of Fair Play makes me happy; this is exactly the kind of movie Netflix and its competitors should make more often. But if they made them a little more intense and surprising, I would not complain.

RATING: 5/10

“90-Minute Movies” On Netflix

Netflix added a new genre to its lineup, and frankly, we love it.



Source link

Tags: EroticFairLimpPlayReviewThriller
Share30Tweet19
rmtsa

rmtsa

Recommended For You

Lindsay Lohan on Being Pigeonholed With Acting Roles

by rmtsa
August 3, 2025
0
Lindsay Lohan on Being Pigeonholed With Acting Roles

Lindsay Lohan is opening up about her feelings of being pigeonholed by roles she’s played in the past as a longstanding actress in the entertainment industry.  After starring...

Read more

Awesome JAWS Poster Art From Artist Tyler Stout Pays Tribute To Quint — GeekTyrant

by rmtsa
August 3, 2025
0
Awesome JAWS Poster Art From Artist Tyler Stout Pays Tribute To Quint — GeekTyrant

I had to share this great Jaws print with you that was created by artist Tyler Stout. This was a limited edition Comic-Con exclusive of only 150 prints....

Read more

10 Directors Who Cast the Same Actor in Every Movie

by rmtsa
August 2, 2025
0
10 Directors Who Cast the Same Actor in Every Movie

Frequent collaborations between actors and directors are what the movies are made of. Artistic endeavors are never easy, especially the ones you can’t do all by yourself, so...

Read more

Spider-Man 4 Video Reveals Tom Holland’s Stylish Brand New Day Look

by rmtsa
August 2, 2025
0
Spider-Man 4 Video Reveals Tom Holland’s Stylish Brand New Day Look

Update: Check out a new video of Tom Holland in his Spider-Man: Brand New Day suit. Sony Pictures has shared the first Spider-Man 4 teaser for the highly...

Read more

Diane Ladd’s Husband Was 77

by rmtsa
August 2, 2025
0
Diane Ladd’s Husband Was 77

Robert Charles Hunter, former CEO of PepsiCo Food Systems, author and the third husband of three-time Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd, has died. He was 77. Charles died Thursday...

Read more
Next Post
Roger Waters’ Colleagues Back Up Antisemitism Claims in New Doc

Roger Waters' Colleagues Back Up Antisemitism Claims in New Doc

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse by Category

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized

CATEGORIES

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
No Result
View All Result

Recent News

  • Sha’Carri Richardson Arrested In Domestic Dispute At Airport
  • ‘Law and Order SVU,’ Chris Meloni Returning as Stabler in Season 27
  • How A 1946 Movie Ghost Became One of Punk’s Most Iconic Logos

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In