Fair Play

What It’s About:

In this erotic psychological thriller, a young couple working at a cutthroat hedge fund is pushed to the brink when one of them receives an unexpected promotion.

Why You Should Watch:

With all the superhero movies and rampant IP-mining in the last fifteen years, there is a growing narrative in the movie industry (or maybe the, eh hem, dorks that write about them) that we’ve forgotten how to make steamy adult dramas. Where is our Indecent Proposal? Basic Instinct? Body Heat? Is it time we ask Justin Timberlake to… you know? The suits at Netflix seem to agree, as they immediately bought this throwback-to-a-prior-promiscuous-era gem for a cool $20 million when it premiered at Sundance (a relative bargain compared to their usual production costs). Fair Play isn’t just worth the watch because it’s sexy (it is) but also for its thought-provoking commentary on gender politics, relationship power dynamics, and male fragility. Plus, the film is an actor’s dream, allowing its stars to brood, bang, bawl, and generally lose their shit to great effect (if you’re a fan of those Oscar montages where they screen 10-15 seconds of each nominee screaming out of context before they give out an acting award, you’ll love this movie). If you want to spice up your next date night at home (one way or the other), be bullish on Fair Play. 

Who’s In It, and Where You Probably Know Them From

Alden Eldenreich - After being discovered by Steven Spielberg at a Bat Mitzvah (see below), you may have seen Eldenreich in Blue Jasmine, Hail Caesar!, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Cocaine Bear, and Oppenheimer.

Phoebe Dynever - You may recognize this British actress from Younger or Bridgerton.

Eddie Marsan - This legendary character actor / “that guy” has appeared in Ray Donovan, Gangs of New York, 21 Grams, V for Vendetta, Mission Impossible: III, and Sherlock Holmes.

Rich Sommer - Sommer is quickly becoming a “that guy” himself, with an impressive list of credits that include The Devil Wears Prada, The Office, Glow, Mynx, and, of course, as everyone’s favorite pig/dope Harry Crane on Mad Men.

Who Made It, and What Else Have They Done:

Chloe Domont wrote and directed the film. To date, she has mostly been a TV director hired to man woman episodes of shows like Suits, Ballers, Billions, and Star Trek: Discovery.

Where You Can Watch:

Netflix

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