Story: At a gaming convention in Japan, Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) discovers a Russian video game known as Tetris and his mind is blown. The game is simple at first blush, with players tasked to place falling puzzle pieces to complete rows and prevent an overrun screen. But this simple premise takes immense skill and quick thinking, not to mention a lot of free time, since the game is so addictive. Henk would even see the Tetris pieces falling in his dreams, so he knows he has to land the licenses to bring Tetris to more countries. But the Russian government has a lot of rules and regulations over exports and with social, political, and perhaps even criminal interests involved, can Henk turn Tetris into a global phenomenon?

Entertainment Value: I wouldn’t call Tetris the most accurate movie based on a true story, but adding in cold war spy thrills was a fun take, regardless. I especially love the final countdown car chase at the end, complete with last second arrival of backup and over the top thriller elements. Even so, the actual story of Tetris is just as interesting and has plenty of geopolitical intrigue, but I suppose this more dialed up version means the appeal can branch out further in audience reach. The narrative sticks close to the actual events in a general sense, just adding drama here and spy tension there, to spice up the mix. I think my favorite parts of the film were the dialogue exchanges and how the characters tried to navigate those discussions. The stakes are always high and these high wire verbal jousts are well performed, so I found them to be quite effective. I also love stories about old school Nintendo or video games in general, so I was hooked from the start. I liked Tetris a lot and while it takes some liberties, the core of the story is here and the ride is a fun one.

A good cast was assembled for this movie and while some turn in solid, serious work, some embrace the spy vibes and tune up their performances. Taron Egerton isn’t over the top per se, but the walks the line and just when he starts to spiral a little, he pulls back just enough. So his dramatic moments, mostly due to his intensity, which is remarkable here. For a movie about video game rights, he brings a lot of enthusiasm and intensity, which again, I think is fantastic. His exchanges have great screen presence and are a pleasure to watch, since they’re so dialed up and feel so important. His performance is also in line with the general vibe of Tetris, rooted in realism, but with a lot of dramatized touches. The cast also includes Toby Jones, Mara Huf, Nikita Efremov, Togo Igawa, and Miles Barrow.