Fair Play (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – An unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund pushes a young couple’s relationship to the brink, threatening to unravel far more than their recent engagement.

My Take – Office romances are indeed a recipe for disaster, and this latest Netflix release shows how a loss in traditional balance at the workplace sends a couple to their dark side.

Set in a cutthroat hedge fund management company, the slick feature debut from TV director Chloe Domont (Ballers, Billions) pitches a battle of the sexes in a cut-throat arena where one misjudgment can cost tens of millions of dollars.

Skillfully crafted as an intense, thought-provoking roller coaster, with stress building consistently from start to finish and exploding into all-out insanity and paranoia in the final act, the film is a poignant tale of money, gender and power, but also keenly observes the unspoken prejudice that can drift through as passing thoughts, and, if unchecked, often consume individuals in this position.

With star-making performances by Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor, the film feels like a natural evolution of the long-lost 90s’ workplace erotic thrillers, drawing you into a cesspit of pre-marital power struggles and ambition-turned-sour machinations.

The story follows Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), two analysts who work for the same cutthroat New York hedge fund, One Crest Fund. Since dating would break company policy, their one-year relationship has remained a secret, even when Luke has just asked Emily to marry him.

Only hours after sleeping together in their cozy Chinatown apartment in New York, they take different routes without even saying goodbye only to show up in the same office, where they act like almost strangers. With the secrecy adding steam to their intimate and passionate life.

However, all it takes for that to change is a slight unbalance in their power dynamics. Despite the rumors claiming Luke was going to take up a new position, Emily ends up being promoted by the firm’s CEO Campbell (Eddie Marsan), effectively becoming Luke’s boss. Though Luke initially offers support, he soon begins undermining Emily’s career, leading to a game of cat and mouse between them as the two face the harsh realities of the finance industry.

Sure, the direction of the film is obvious from the beginning and yet that doesn’t change the thrill of the journey as writer-director Chloe Domont, in her debut feature, masterfully keeps us guessing as to when Luke will finally implode.

Here, director Domont takes her time to observe her characters in love, in a healthy relationship, attracted to one another and clearly in the throes of young passion. It’s so disarmingly warm and infectious that you’re both happy for their engagement, and also dreading the shock event that is obviously going to shatter their relationship.

Ultimately, this is a film about how insecurities and bitterness will rot a relationship. Anxiety and angst are probably the main feelings you will experience throughout the film but that’s because it felt like the stakes were always high.

While Luke becomes increasingly easy to hate as the plot plods along, Emily also exhibits shades of grey. I appreciate the writer-director’s instincts in not trying to paint a one-sided picture here. The film gets into a psychological thriller zone right in the middle, and thereafter, it’s a riveting ride all through.

Also, the environment in which the set up plays out is key in the story, trapping the characters in a relentless pressure cooker where stock market values are as volatile as their love life. A place where one mistake can make everything crumble. The truth is their relationship never stood a chance.

Performances wise both Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich are outstanding. Dynevor, known particularly for Bridgerton, shines brightest in a rousing star-making turn, cloaking Emily’s sharp persona with a delicate vulnerability that charms everyone around her. Even if both of these characters are flawed enough to, much like real life, neither avoid being completely blameless, she certainly swings into pole position as the one you truly root for, however ill-advised many of both of their decisions are.

Ehrenreich is in fine form as his character slowly reveals layers upon layers of subtle resentment, as both romantic and sexual equations between the couple take a deep nosedive. The two main characters are deeply complex and fully rounded, and Ehrenreich‘s plot trajectory only remains organic courtesy of his strong and committed work.

In other roles, Eddie Marsan is believable as the vicious boss that everybody is in awe/fear of, while Sebastian de Souza and Rich Sommer manage to leave their mark. On the whole, ‘Fair Play’ is a sizzling workplace thriller that keeps you gripped throughout.