Like any child born in the 80s, the Nintendo Entertainment System era was one I hold close to my heart. My world revolved around playing NES and discussing weekly gaming experiences with friends. As I vacationed with family, one of the experiences I remember most was getting my hands on a Nintendo Gameboy and playing two games – Super Mario Bros. and Tetris.
While Mario Bros. was about rescuing the princess, Tetris challenged me to think critically to attain the highest score possible. But unfortunately, as I grew older, Tetris remained in the video game bubble as a generational entity.
With that longstanding popularity, reading there would be a Tetris film in the works, I wondered if this would align with the generic and mostly underwhelming video game adaptations we’ve come to experience. Little did I know what was to come!
All the blocks fall right into place with Tetris. The unbelievably true tale of corruption, political entanglement, and deceit that led to one of the most popular video games ever. It’s a winning high score for the video game genre.
Tetris tells the story of Henk Rogers, a businessman who longs for one of his ideas to strike gold. While at a convention in 1988, Rogers discovers Tetris, which begins his journey to secure distribution rights. But, unfortunately, what looked to be an easy securement turned into a battle with members of the Soviet Union.
Before the film, I knew little about the game’s backstory besides its incredible success. To say this film shocked me is an understatement. Noah Pink’s screenplay is razor-sharp as it tackles this story with an espionage-esque feel. There are moments where you will question if you’re watching a Jason Bourne film rather than a movie about a game.
Pink’s script adds layers that surpass the rights to a video game and the growing tension between the Soviets and Americans. It’s hard not to think about the Soviet’s future, and the ongoing geopolitical battle with the U.S. The fall of the Soviet Union is right around the corner.
Alwin H. Küchler’s cinematography captures the 1980s landscape quite well. While many cinephiles out there are done with the recapturing of the decade, I will never be tired of it. Video game enthusiasts are also treated with Easter eggs from the era that are sure to delight the masses, including 8-bit-inspired animation.
The film’s heart falls at the feet of Taron Egerton’s incredible performance. Egerton’s performance merges the ideologies of a man with dreams and one who’s clueless about the trouble he’s gotten himself and his family into to deliver magnetic work.
While Tetris does suffer from being too “on the nose” at times with its dialogue and exposition, the film never falls into the mundane and over-saturated with telling the audience what is what. At 2 hours, Tetris is one of the year’s most crowd-pleasing films and one that balances tension and heart perfectly to clear your game board.
