Fair Play : A movie on woman’s unflinching thrive to move forward in men’s universe.
Draped in a skin-colored gown, and swayed red hair, Emily played by Phoebe Dynevor struck as a gorgeous girl next door. She effortlessly captivated so many men at the party. But only one man is lucky to have her as his girlfriend. Emily was also crazy in love with Luke. Luke is The guy she’d been having a relationship with and lived together for a while. Steamy, romantic scenes are served at the beginning of Fair Play, where Luke drops a ring he was going to present to Emily in the restroom. Both lovebirds were exceptionally passionate about tying the knot and wanted to tell the whole world about it.
But this 2023 movie wasn’t about two cute squirrels head over heels for each other. In the next scenes we are going to see underneath a happy, glorifying romance, lies the real stake of a woman’s value when it is placed above a man’s ego.
A tense character-building
The main characters in this movie, Emily and Luke, are set to have accumulative responses as the plot thickens. It seems the viewers are going to have a thrill ride to always second guess Emily’s move. Is she going to give up her triumphant any minute ? or if was it merely a temporary sympathetic gesture to Luke.
Set in Manhattan, the glamorous New York City, a fast-paced, relentless corporate life at the hedge fund office. Luke and Emily carefully concealed their relationship for the sake of their career—to not break the company’s policy. At the end of the day, they both went home to the same apartment.
Luke, played by Alden Ehrenreich was a sweet, charming man who seemed to be enthralled by Emily’s beauty and girly features. It is soon to be proved and escalates in an argument scene later on. Where Luke criticizes Emily’s appearance at work— in which he says that she dresses like a “cupcake”. Not to mention, he frequently insinuated Emily for being offered a promotion by her superior as a bargain for her body instead of her intellectual prowess.
Emily, on the other hand, was described as a bright employee who has lesser ambition, observant of her position as the minority gender in the office. In the midst of the intense conflict between Emily and Luke, her relationship with her family is slightly revealed. Emily was raised by a self-absorbed, anxious mother who insist an engagement party instead of grasping of what was going on in her daughter’s life. It shows a broader living constellation of Emily. As a solo, self-reliant girl who has been going through rough patches growing up.
A feminist kind of fair play
What defines feminism is perfectly framed in this picture. So translucent yet natural that the treatment of each scene reaches the bottom of every questionable motives in it. The boundaries with men against a woman’s sense of domination confining their very own dreams. The feeling of Luke’s masculinity being slowly stripped away at his very own eyes by his fiancé will set the tone fairly for the viewers. Not to mention, the right of a woman to sustain her existence and achievement. At the same time, surviving a destructive relationship are all difficult emotional battles.
When it all went beserk, Chloe Dormont the director refers to the relationship exchange between Luke and Emily as power dynamics.
Despite the mixed reactions, the last scene is crucial to appear at the end of the movie. It is essentially created to make a statement of how feminism should draw the thin line between lust and violence, bolder. With this being brazenly declared, Emily demands Luke, to hold accountable of his actions. To take full responsibility of the sexual incident which in split seconds turned into assault and a violation of consent.
Fair Play’s reception on Netflix
Streaming on Netflix in September 2023, it has received terrific reviews from several critic platforms. Such as Rotten Tomatoes with 85% which called it the comeback of “Nail biting-90’s thrillers”. Elaborating on sensitive issues of office and gender politics, Fair Play offers interesting premises and plots it amusingly.
Nominated for Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic in Sundance Film Festival 2023, Fair Play hit the #1 streamed drama on Netflix in October 2023. Just a few weeks after its release. Netflix reportedly paid US$20 Million for Fair Play’s worldwide rights.
Rated R for nudity, foul language, and violence, the movie aims only for an audience 25 years and older.
Author: Fraya
A writer and entrepreneur with profound interest in humankind research and insights. An avid coffee drinker and book hoarder. Hours and days spent in Jakarta.The Haptic Room is supported by our readers. Our site may contain links to affiliate websites, and if you make a purchase through these links, we receive a commission to support our site.