Tetris – Movie Review

Tetris: Directed by Jon S. Baird

SYNOPSIS: In 1988, American video game salesman Henk Rogers discovers the video game Tetris. When he sets out to bring the game to the world, he enters a dangerous web of lies and corruption behind the Iron Curtain.

I am a big fan of video games and that level of art. For my entire life I have been drawn to them from Madden to Call of Duty to the Red Dead Redemption. I see video games as a way to escape and I believe that that is a big reason why I love movies the way that I love them now. Tetris is one of the games that revolutionized the way that video games were thought of.  With all of that being said and with a very intriguing performance from Taron Egerton I was very excited to give this film a watch. Apple has also had an ok reputation with their original films so the mind was open.

The first thing I need to say is just wow. Who knew a film about purchasing rights to a video game would be so bonkers. It went from comedy to thriller to family drama. That can sometimes be a bit of a mess but if you do it right it is intriguing. The thing I really like about this film from the start is the high-paced and electric storytelling. That is coupled with the electric performance from Egerton which I will cover later. The storytelling works really well for the first two acts of the film but then hits a snag around the end. An overall bright spot that doesn’t quite finish properly.

Taron Egerton is absolutely dynamite in this film. He brings such a sense of charisma to the project and actually kind of carries the film on his back. The other performances get the job done but don’t do anything that I believe pushes the film further. This film lacks in a few key places, the third act writing and the performances overall. I think the energy of Egerton and the pacing is good, but it can’t save the potential that this film could be.  

FINAL: Tetris was surprising to me. I didn’t have many expectations for it, but as a big fan of video games I ended up liking a lot about it. Taron Egerton is the clear star of the show and continues to prove that he is one of the best actors working today. I also really enjoy the editing and pacing for the first two acts. I had no idea this would turn into a thriller and that was an interesting surprise. The writing does lose track around the end and none of the other technical or acting efforts do anything to push the project any further. Give it a watch, you might enjoy it. 

Point Breakdown:

15 for Writing: 13

15 for Performances: 12

10 for Entertainment: 9

10 for Direction: 8

10 for Emotions: 9

5 for Cinematography: 4

5 for Score: 4

5 for Pacing: 3

15 for Technical: 13

5 for Rewatchability: 4

5 for Automatic: 5

Tetris: 84/100

Jack Lautaret is a Banana Meter approved film critic, Host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube Channel and writer for Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret