Deep Water, Don’t Worry Darling, and the tragically terrible Netflix film 365 Days are just a few continuing the signature elements of the erotic thriller that was popularized by Fatal Attraction in the late 1980s. However, these new films are not very good, so seeing a promising film like Fair Play from this genre is a rare feat to behold.
Fair Play Synopsis
The relationship of Emily and Luke seems in near-perfect harmony when a proposal suddenly drops. Emily accepts, and the following day, the two go into the finance firm, where they work side-by-side and keep their relationship a secret, risking sanction or firing if anyone finds out. Though Emily initially hears that Luke is getting the next big promotion at the office, she gets the job instead, and the shift in power dynamics slowly eats into their relationship amid already strained nerves from their intense careers.
Power Dynamics, Stress, and Dangerous Relationships
The potential of a good thriller, especially one mired in the universally tense situation of forbidden romance, has sustained viewership to the genre for decades, often without fully delivering in terms of originality, filmmaking craft, and quality acting. The presence of sex and deception usually makes up for it in the eyes of the general audience, but finding a screenplay that trusts the viewer’s intelligence and perception skills is not the standard for erotic thrillers. Fair Play, while not perfect by any means, at least does not hold our hand in unfolding the details, letting the viewers live in the naturally growing discomfort of the central characters’ relationship.
Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor in ‘Fair Play’
The fascinating elements of Fair Play often come in through the well-directed details. Chloe Domont, making her feature directorial debut, blends close and wide shots, fast dialogue and ambiance, and style and substance with already-marked talent, and her screenwriting understands the jargon of the finance world while interweaving it with the doubled tension of the characters’ hidden relationship. Her awareness of how to portray the nuances of relationship insecurities fueling career issues never resorts to the campiness that deadens so many erotic thrillers.
Dynevor and Ehrenreich’s Strive for Dominance in Modern Romance
Taut with drama from all angles and very few cheap thrills used, Fair Play is a standout of the last few Netflix original films in every facet. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich put in their all to give their characters detail with little backstory, only going overboard in explosive movie fashion near the end. The mental degradation of their characters is painful but impossible not to admire from a filmmaking standpoint; whether one takes a message from the nasty ending or merely enjoys the tension while it lasts, Fair Play is the first recommendable erotic thriller in a long time.
Fair Play is streaming now on Netflix.
