An expertly crafted coming-of-age story about success, overcoming stereotypes, the dangers of addiction, and the price that winning has.
The Queen’s Gambit is a Netflix mini-series created and directed by Scott Frank starring Anya Taylor-Joy and tells the story of a quiet orphan named Beth Harmon. After losing her mother at a very young age, Beth is introverted and estranged from the people around her until she stumbles upon the timeless game of chess and she plays a match. Then she plays another. And again, until it’s quite evident she is a child prodigy and has a deep understanding for the game in front of her. She becomes obsessed and passionate about it and we see her journey to becoming a more than formidable chess player.
The best movies and shows are the ones that make you forget you’re viewing something and instead immerse you into an experience. That is what the Queen’s Gambit is. An experience. It entangles you and hypnotizes you and doesn’t let go. You don’t need to know or even understand chess to enjoy the show, which is an achievement for the creators and almost seems like an impossible task. You don’t have to know the mechanics of the Queen’s Gambit opening or the Sicilian Defense because the way the show is shot and directed creates tension without you even needing to understand exactly what is happening in the matches. All you need to know is that there are two opponents testing each other to the absolute best of their abilities. One of the great things about the show is the sportsmanship shown. The game of chess for the players goes beyond politics and nationality. There’s a special bond for the two players that no one else understands except for them. You’re engaged in combat with the other person, and if you can beat them, you’re worthy of their respect and admiration. There’s no honor in beating a weak opponent, but there’s honor and pride in losing to someone that is truly special and great.
One of The Queen’s Gambit’s main themes is addiction and obsession, and how we as human beings abuse things that make us feel something, if anything at all. What happens when we lose that and are left to fend for ourselves without the help of pills and alcohol? There’s a fear in that, and the show brilliantly captures this. Beth has a brilliant mind and is exceptionally gifted, but there’s a price she has to pay for her talents and an internal battle she has to overcome. Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the standout young actors of Hollywood working today, and her performance only adds on to an already impressive résumé. She carries the show with her nuances and subtle expressions, portraying somebody that is gifted but is digging herself in a hole at the same time.
The show’s production and special effects are outstanding, leaving you mesmerized as you see Beth competing in her chess matches. The soundtrack fits the tone of the show perfectly and goes along with the rhythm and beats of the story. Add on a charismatic cast, and you have a mini-series that comes together like a perfect symphony that delivers an ending that is pure euphoria.
Like you just said, you don’t have to understand the game to engage in it, the way they filmed the movie is absolutely brilliant in that way and makes you run and buy a chess game to get to understand in some way a game that always is being seen as a a very smart game. Thank you Julian for this wonderful review!!