Fair Play

By Joanna Langfield

This sizzling psychological thriller is a lot more fun than it probably should be. Because premiering writer/director Chole Domont is tackling some heavy duty stuff here. And, for the most part, she delivers a compelling, all too contemporary puzzle we’ll be putting together long after the film is over.

We meet Emily and Luke just as they are about to get engaged. They’ve been living together, secretly, because up and comers in the world of New York City finance (and probably everywhere else) should keep their personal lives out of the office. But, when Emily is summoned to a bar at 2am, she receives the promotion Luke thought he would get. And we just know this isn’t going to be pretty.

Domont tackles the gender and power dynamics of this story with zest and precision. Is it fair that a woman might be called to sacrifice her career for the man she loves? Is it fair that a man might not be able to handle being second fiddle to a rising star? Is it fair that a deserving woman is asked to play the boys’ game, just to fit in to a job she’s earned? None of these are new questions, or problems. But here we are, as they are still all too relevant.

Balancing all that with a canny sense of entertainment, Domont heats things up with some taut storytelling, two terrific lead actors and lots of hot sex. Yes, lots of hot sex. But let’s get back to the actors, shall we? Phoebe Dynevor, known primarily from her work on Bridgerton, glows with a slow and steady burn. And Alden Ehrenreich is terrific as the earnest man who feels cuckholded by forces with which he can’t compete.

Perhaps the final scene could have been sharper, but, up until then, this steamy twister keeps us wrapped up in its ambitious, evocative spell.