Fair Play
Theatrical release poster with original streaming release date
Directed byChloe Domont
Written byChloe Domont
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMenno Mans
Edited byFranklin Peterson
Music byBrian McOmber
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20) (Sundance)
  • September 29, 2023 (2023-09-29) (United States)
Running time
113 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fair Play is a 2023 American erotic psychological thriller film written and directed by Chloe Domont, in her feature directorial debut. It stars Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie Marsan, and Rich Sommer. The film follows a young couple whose relationship starts to unravel following an unexpected promotion at a cutthroat hedge fund firm.

Fair Play premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2023, and was released in select theaters on September 29, 2023, before its streaming release by Netflix on October 6, 2023. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

Emily Meyers and Luke Edmunds are analysts at One Crest Capital, a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund. The two are in a passionate relationship they keep secret from their co-workers. Luke proposes to Emily while at his brother's wedding, and she happily accepts. The next day at work, one of the company's portfolio managers is fired. Emily overhears her colleagues mention that Luke is being considered as a replacement, and passes the news onto him; the two celebrate that night. However, the firm's CEO Campbell summons Emily to a late-night meeting to tell her that she will in fact be receiving the promotion. Emily reluctantly breaks the news to Luke, but he expresses his support.

As Emily settles into her new job, Luke's resentment over not being promoted becomes increasingly apparent, leading to tensions in his relationship with Emily. Luke becomes consumed with the work of a self-help guru coaching people on how to assert themselves in the workplace. Emily comes home drunk and sees Luke's course notes. She questions his choice to spend $3,000 on the self-help course, and when Luke suggests that she could benefit from becoming more assertive, she becomes defensive. Luke rebuffs Emily's attempts to initiate sex and goes to bed.

While out for drinks with Campbell and Paul, a senior executive at the fund, Emily learns that Campbell is seeking to get rid of Luke, considering him ineffectual. Emily attempts to advocate more for Luke in the workplace, but it backfires when Luke makes a poor trading call that loses the company $25 million, leading to Campbell harshly insulting her. Luke attempts to rectify his mistake by feeding Emily insider information confirming the rumored collapse of a company whose stock the fund can short. Concerned that the trade is illegal, Emily recommends Campbell to short another company, which proves successful. When the short sale is closed, Emily receives a $575,000 commission check in lieu of an apology from Campbell. Emily considers celebrating her success with Luke, who is in her office after hours to discuss strategies for future trades, but she opts to go to a strip club with her male co-workers when they pressure her to join them. She comes home intoxicated and throws her bonus check onto the kitchen counter. Luke sees the check and has no interest in having sex with her.

When another portfolio manager is fired the next day, Luke demands that Emily recommend him for the role to Campbell, but she hints that Campbell is not interested in promoting him. Luke then goes to Campbell's office and makes a grandiose speech pledging his loyalty to him, only to learn Campbell has already hired a new portfolio manager. That night, Emily learns that her overbearing mother has planned a surprise engagement party for them that Friday. A drunken Luke accuses Emily of stealing his job, but Emily reveals that Campbell wanted to fire him, leading Luke to storm out.

The next day, while Emily, Campbell, and Paul pitch to overseas investors, Luke barges into the conference room intoxicated and causes a scene, berating Campbell for denying him a promotion and revealing his relationship with Emily, which has been in violation of company policy since her promotion. An infuriated Emily is unable to reach Luke over the phone, only to find him at the engagement party. The two argue in front of their families and guests, and Emily smashes a bottle on Luke's head when he suggests that she traded sexual favors for a promotion. Emily retreats to a bathroom where Luke finds her and the two argue further before having sex. During sex, Luke forces Emily forward twice, causing her face to slam against the bathroom counter. Emily tells Luke to stop, but he does not. The next morning, to protect her job, Emily tells Campbell that Luke was stalking her and that the two were never in a relationship.

Emily returns home to find Luke there, having packed up his belongings and planning to move in with his brother. Infuriated by his nonchalant demeanor and demanding an apology for raping her, Emily threatens Luke with a knife. She attacks Luke with the knife until he apologizes and breaks down crying. Luke begs for her forgiveness. Emily orders him to clean his blood off the floor and leave. She drops the knife and smiles.

Cast

Production

The film was announced in December 2021, with Chloe Domont writing and directing, and Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor set to star in the film.[2] Production began in January 2022 in Serbia.[3] In February, Sebastian de Souza, Eddie Marsan and Rich Sommer joined the cast.[4][5][6] [7]

Release

Fair Play was released in select theaters on September 29, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on October 6, 2023.[8] The film's streaming release was originally scheduled for October 13, before it was moved up.[9]

The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2023.[10] Shortly after, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film, after a bidding war between half a dozen companies including Searchlight Pictures and Neon, for $20 million.[11][12] It had its international premiere at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2023.[13][14]

For its European premiere, the film was shown in the section Feature Film Competition of the 19th Zurich Film Festival in late September 2023.[15]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 86% of 220 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "With assured style that's at times reminiscent of the best '90s nail-biting thrillers, Fair Play juxtaposes premarital disharmony with greed and gender politics in the cutthroat finance world."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[17]

In his review for Variety, Owen Gleiberman lauded Domont's screenplay and direction, as well the cast performances, writing that "Fair Play, while full of sex, money, corporate backstabbing, and a lot of other things that are fun to watch, really is a good little movie."[18] Describing it as a "steamy, razor-wired, barking-mad movie" in his review for IndieWire, Ryan Lattanzio assigned the film a grade of A− and praised the screenplay and cast performances (particularly Ehrenreich's).[19] Kevin Maher of the Times gave it a score of 4 out of 5, stating: "There’s something bracingly modern yet deliberately old-fashioned about this guilty pleasure thriller set in the aspirational world of Manhattan high finance."[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Fair Play (18)". BBFC. August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 1, 2021). "Alden Ehrenreich And Phoebe Dynevor To Star In Fair Play". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  3. ↑ Kasule, Melissa (December 3, 2021). "Fair Play drama set to shoot in Serbia". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  4. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 7, 2022). "Fair Play: Sebastian de Souza, Eddie Marsan & Rich Sommer Join MRC & T-Street Finance World Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ "'Fair Play' Cast on Creating Sundance's Most Shocking Sex Scene: 'There Was Too Much Blood at One Point'". Variety. January 22, 2023.
  6. ↑ "'Fair Play' Sundance Review: An Intense Ride Down A Slippery Slope As A Young Couple Descends Into Relationship Hell". Deadline. January 21, 2023.
  7. ↑ "With 'Fair Play,' Director Chloe Domont Creates the Kind of Steamy, Psycho-Sexual Thriller We Haven't Seen Since the '90s". Variety.
  8. ↑ Complex, Valerie (September 26, 2023). "'Fair Play' Trailer: Phoebe Dynevor & Alden Ehrenreich Star In Sexy Netflix Psychological Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  9. ↑ Scorziello, Sophia (August 8, 2023). "Fair Play Trailer: Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor Go at Each Other's Throats in Netflix's Erotic Thriller". Variety. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  10. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 7, 2022). "Sundance Film Festival Lineup Set With Ukraine War, Little Richard, Michael J. Fox, Judy Blume Docs; Pics With Anne Hathaway, Emilia Clarke, Jonathan Majors; More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 23, 2023). "Netflix Closing Deal For Hot Sundance Title 'Fair Play'; Deal In $20 Million Range". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 21, 2023). "Half Dozen Bidders On Fair Play Positions Drama To Be 2023 Sundance's First Big Auction Deal: The Dish". Deadline. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Here Are the Netflix Movies Going to the Toronto International Film Festival". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Fairplay". TIFF. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  15. ↑ https://zff.com/en/movies/fair-play
  16. ↑ "Fair Play". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Fair Play". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (January 21, 2023). "'Fair Play' Review: A Gripping Financial Drama Dunked in Up-to-the-Minute Sexual Politics". Variety. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (January 21, 2023). "'Fair Play' Review: This Sick Psychosexual Finance Thriller Is 'Industry' Directed by Adrian Lyne". IndieWire. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  20. ↑ Maher, Kevin. "Fair Play review — sex, lies and jealousy on Wall Street". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
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