Movie Review: ‘Fair Play’

Review by James Lindorf

When you think of the greatest directorial debuts of all time, names like “Get Out,” “Reservoir Dogs,” and “Citizen Kane” are among the first to spring to mind. It is an amazing feat, given all the moving elements that come into play during the three stages of film production. Netflix hopes they have the next film to enter this pantheon with “Fair Play” from writer and director Chloe Domont. This tense drama will have a one-week theatrical run beginning on September 29th, making it eligible for awards season before hitting the streaming platform on October 6th.

Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are madly in love. Their passion finds them stealing away moments in hallways and bathrooms and failing to make it past the living room before they rip each other’s clothes off. Their relationship goes beyond the physical, and a recent engagement has them both dreaming about the future. Unfortunately, their relationship is against company policy and must be kept a secret. When Emily and Luke are up for a coveted promotion at their cutthroat financial firm, their relationship takes a minor hit. It begins to fracture when one gets the job, and their fiance becomes their direct report. Long nights, frustrations, egos, jealousy, unfulfilled ambition, and gender dynamics in and out of the office combine to rain blow after blow on the once-happy couple. “Fair Play” also stars Eddie Marsan, Rich Sommer, and Sebastian De Souza.

The best trick in Domont’s script is how it evokes the feeling of watching a car accident. You can see it coming, you know how to stop it, maybe you even yell out an answer that falls on deaf ears, and finally, you are left hoping everyone makes it out alive. The solution to Emily and Luke’s problem seems obvious, making it even more heartbreaking. While Domont does so many great things with her screenplay, it ultimately lets her down as a director. As the story enters its final act and the couple heads towards the point of no return, their slow downward spiral suddenly lurches forward in jarring fashion. The tension that starts at a 0 and is slowly ratcheted up with every missed conversation and poor decision jumps from 7 to 9 and then again to 11. It moves the story from the devastatingly realistic to shockingly and disappointingly sensationalized.

The film features solid cinematography and uses color to show the divide between their two worlds. The office is brightly lit in a nearly sterile environment of glass and chrome, while their secret home life features a lot of gold tones with highlights of rich reds and blacks. Domont could be trying to convey that the brightly lit world is the one they care most about, and even at the best of times, their secret life has a dark side. Or conversely, the warmth in those scenes could be a visual representation of their love. The great thing about art is that it is open to interpretation. Still, I lean towards the first conclusion. Workaholics with goals and dreams years in the making could easily value that promotion over a relationship with a 50-50 chance of success. The choice to not seek alternate employment or outing themselves to HR in the hopes of climbing the corporate ladder also points to where their true desires lie.

“Fair Play” features a talented cast, each giving perhaps the best performance of their careers. Phoebe Dynevor, best known for Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” proves she is a powerhouse capable of far more than the regal soap opera demands of her. In the film, Dynevor is in a class of her own because while she never waivers, Ehrenreich gets off to a fantastic start but falters in those jarring jumps. Eddie Marsan, perhaps best known as the meek Peter Page in “The World’s End,” is a delight playing the exact opposite of that character. He dominates every room he is in or happens to walk by on his way to making millions of dollars while spreading an air of toxicity. He is a complex character who has moments where he is supportive while also being an HR nightmare.

Unfortunately, the third act lets Domont and the film down and knocks it out of the ranks of greatest debuts ever. However, the unified visuals, great performances, and a strong opening and middle act will keep it in the second tier. It may not be remembered alongside hits like “Wall Street” or “The Wolf of Wall Street” but should find a home with popular films turned cult classics like “Boiler Room” and “Rounders.” “Fair Play” earns a 4.5 out of 5 for its thrilling examination of gender politics in relationships and work environments, fragile egos, and bullies.

Rating: R for Languague, Sexual Content and Sexual Violence
Genre: Drama
Director: Chloe Domont
Producer: Leopold Hughes, Ben LeClair, Allan Mandelbaum, Tim White, Trevor White
Writer: Chloe Domont
Release Date (Theaters): September 29th, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): October 6th, 2023
Runtime: 1h 53m
Distributor: Netflix