“They’ll make a movie about anything these days!” is what most of us likely said upon hearing that a movie about Tetris was being released. It’s been said before— and it’ll be said again— but the film industry is completely oversaturated with biopics and corporate/product origin stories right now. Seeing so many films of this same genre coming out at once makes it hard to get excited about any of them; they tend to come off as an inauthentic cash grab more than anything else. An entire film dedicated to an old computer game where you have to line up falling blocks almost sounds like a joke at this point. And yet, despite everything that should be working against it, Tetris manages to not only be a pretty solid thriller but also a pretty fun time.
Jon S. Baird’s Tetris is the surprisingly exciting, witty dramatization of programmer Henk Rogers’ (Taron Egerton) fight to obtain licensing rights of the classic video game Tetris. If you don’t have any previous knowledge of the history of Tetris, this undoubtedly sounds incredibly dull. In reality the story is actually very engaging, with a lot more twists and exciting sequences then one would probably expect from a film all about licensing. It’s been dubbed the Argo of video game movies, a fairly apt comparison, though Tetris tends to take itself a good deal less seriously. It doesn’t take things far enough to fall into the parody category, but it leans heavily into the 80s nostalgia that surrounds the game, manifesting in a bright, colorful aesthetic and the familiar lighthearted tone that is often associated with popular films of the era. It does feel a little too goofy at times though, especially when the antagonists are basically cartoon versions of Soviet spies. 
If you don’t have even an ounce of interest in the plot, Tetris is worth the watch for Taron Egerton alone. The man oozes so much charm that it’s actually hard not to enjoy a film that he’s in. He plays Henk Rogers, an average man whose foolishness ends up ultimately being his greatest attribute in his single-minded goal of acquiring the Tetris rights. Egerton does a nice job of making him a compelling protagonist without overplaying his heroics. It helps immensely in keeping the film grounded in reality. The other obvious standout is Nikita Efremov, who portrays Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. Efremov and Egerton have great onscreen chemistry that makes for a magnetic camaraderie worthy of rooting for.
While largely a fun watch, there are definitely some moments where Tetris tends to drag its feet. It comes in just under two hours, yet it still starts to feel a little long right around the ninety-minute mark. It’s a plot heavy film, so the character focused moments aren’t as engaging because the viewer isn’t really all that acquainted with the characters. Henk’s family troubles, though legitimate, don’t feel all that relevant when we as the audience haven’t spent excessive time with them. 
Tetris isn’t doing anything revolutionary. It’s the archetypal story of an underdog triumphing over a big adversary, but it’s also an intriguing film with a cool aesthetic that sheds light on the little-known history of a video game that practically everyone has played. As a straight to streaming release, Tetris isn’t going to be making any waves and will likely be largely forgotten by the end of the year but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth checking out. It’s a quick paced, easily digestible film with a good amount of heart. Plus, it’s a great dad movie. Grab your dad and have a fun time!
3.5/5 Stars
Tetris is now streaming on AppleTV+