Tetris – Film Review

In 1988, American video game salesman Henk Rogers discovers the video game Tetris. When he sets out to bring the game to the world, he enters a dangerous web of lies and corruption behind the Iron Curtain.

Even if you’re not a gamer by any means, there’s an extremely high chance that you’ve played Tetris at least once, even if it was by accident or just for a few seconds. It’s one of the most popular video games of all-time, which is even more miraculous when you consider just how simple of a game it really is.

It’s basically just a puzzle game in which players move differently shaped pieces of blocks which descend into the playing field which gives the player points. It involves some strategy for sure, but it’s also not a frustrating game. If anything, it’s probably one of the most relaxing games you can get your hands on. Simply put, Tetris is a groundbreaker.

But did you know that the story behind the popular video game was full of chaos and tragedy? Jon S. Baird‘s new film Tetris aims to get down to the nitty-gritty and show viewers just how hectic the process of getting this game to the masses really was. You’d think it would’ve been fairly easy, but that’s not the case whatsoever.

This film mainly leads us alongside Henk Rogers, a Dutch video game designer and entrepreneur who’s full of charisma and excitement. Who better to play this person than the always amazing Taron Egerton? Although I love him in Rocketman the most, this might just be his second strongest performance to date.

He always feels like he has complete command of the screen. He will manage to win you over with his likability in the first few minutes alone. You can’t help but feel sympathy for this man who’s dreams are absolutely gigantic, even when things aren’t necessarily going his way.

When he finds himself mixed up in a colossally terrifying problem with Russia while trying to sell the video game is where the film truly gets unhinged and transforms itself into one of the most surprisingly dark movies of the year so far. The tonal shift isn’t exactly the smoothest, unfortunately, but once you get really into it, it’s hard not to be invested.

That being said though, Tetris does feel a bit too long at just under two hours. There are a few scenes in the second act in particular that could’ve either been trimmed down or removed from the film altogether and certain plot points would’ve flowed a lot smoother.

Either way, though, this is a remarkable historical thriller that will open your eyes in many ways. Who would have thought that the process of getting Tetris into the hands of millions of people all around the world was such a difficult and painstaking process? Good luck seeing the popular video game the same way after watching this film.

Despite running a bit too long, Tetris is a remarkably gripping historical thriller written excellently by Noah Pink and featuring a multi-layered lead performance from Taron Egerton.