"Fair Play" fires on all cylinders as a relationship drama in finance

Fair Play (2023) 

A career in finance is the ultimate villain in “Fair Play,” a sharply written, tautly directed, and thrillingly well-acted relationship drama from first-time writer-director Chloe Domont. It’s magnetic to watch but also volcanic and intensely uncomfortable, being a voyeur to an imploding relationship between two ambitious, career-minded people. Just imagine the prickliest pre-marital drama against the backdrop of “Margin Call.” 

Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), the story’s couple, are not the same at the end as they are at the beginning. When we first meet them, they sneak off the dance floor at a wedding to have some bathroom sex. It cuts short by Emily realizing she’s on her period and then Luke proposes. It’s a happy late night that turns into an early work morning for both of them. They’re both stock analysts at the same Wall Street investment firm, run by cutthroat boss Campbell (a perfectly despicable Eddie Marsan), where they hide the fact that they are living together, let alone engaged. Emily and Luke are supportive of each other’s career, but everything goes to hell when Emily gets the promotion that Luke wanted and now she is his boss. In the middle of all of this, Emily’s mother just won’t stop calling her about planning an engagement party. Read the full review at GuyAtTheMovies.com

Grade: A -

Netflix released "Fair Play" (113 min.) in select theaters on September 29, 2023, followed by a streaming release on October 6, 2023.