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Tetris. A puzzling game of blocks and strategy. A game that gets the mind buzzing, a game where, as soon as you close out of it and shut your eyes, all you see are falling blocks. A game that now currently has a movie based on it but not in the way you’d think. On March 31, Apple TV+ released their latest original film, Tetris, starring Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Ayane, Anthony Boyle, and Toby Jones. The film follows Henk Rogers, a game designer who discovers the Russian-made game, Tetris, and finds himself fighting against other competitors to license and patent the game, and bring it to the rest of the world.
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What needs to be addressed right off the bat is the fact that this isn’t exactly a comedic history film. This is a dramatic history film detailing the business side of Tetris’ rise in the gaming industry with comedic moments sprinkled throughout alongside generally well-timed 8-bit graphics that are used for transitions. I feel like it’s important to note that distinction given a slightly deceiving opening scene that feels like it’s intended to be fully comedic but in actuality and upon a closer look? It actually feels so much more like a gamer’s version of David Fincher’s 2010 film, The Social Network. And one cannot ignore the incredible score that rightfully belongs to a film about one of the most famous and most-played games in the world, paired with an international soundtrack that utilizes both the Japanese and Russian languages in renditions of songs we all know and love.
The thing is, director Jon S Baird knows exactly the story he wants to tell, and as a result, he executes it so eloquently. Tetris manages to maintain its focus on one topic, instead of having multiple storylines at once. Every character’s path and motivation is intertwined until the very end. Going back to the transitions, they could be a bit more consistent. But they never feel overused or unnecessary, and do fit the film’s quick-paced energy and snappy tone. There’s a great deal of back-and-forth storytelling throughout the movie, and even though I felt as if I’d lost track, the next moment of the movie explains exactly what I need to know.
Taron Egerton is perfectly cast as Henk Rogers as he brings in the energy needed for a man who won’t give up even when he’s on the brink of losing everything. Nikita Efremov and Sofia Lebedeva in their supporting roles are just as engaging and interesting as their individual stories within the bigger story unfold and take different turns. The same can be said for Toby Jones and Anthony Boyle, even knowing their clear position in the business of Tetris while Ayame, despite having a much smaller role, brings a bit of grounding and reality to the situation as a whole.
If you genuinely love both history and video games, or if you love the history of video games specifically, this is a movie for you. Tetris excels in sticking to the main point of the story, while adding elements of gaming graphics to aid the story as well as well-crafted score and soundtrack that fits the vibe of the movie overall. We have an industry that doesn’t exactly succeed when it comes to video game adaptations but detailing a critical moment in the history of video games? Now that’s a whole different level unlocked, and a worthwhile one, too.
Samosa Rating:
Tetris receives 4.5 out of 5 Samosas.
Tetris is now available to stream on Apple TV+.
Runtime: 1h 58m
