Netflix’s steamy thriller on gender politics in the office was released without fanfare to the streaming platform on October 6. Chloe Domont’s directorial debut follows a young couple who both work at a cutthroat hedge firm and whose relationship rapidly unravels after an unexpected promotion.
Phoebe Dynover and Alden Ehrenreich star as Emily and Luke respectively, two analysts at hedge fund “Once Crest Capital.” Despite getting engaged, the two keep their relationship a secret in the office as it is a violation of company policy. Emily in particular is worried about how she’ll be perceived by her mostly male coworkers, all of whom would mow each other down to get ahead. Despite Emily’s and Luke’s attempt to compartmentalize love and work, a promotion that goes to Emily instead of Luke causes their relationship to deteriorate in a series of dramatic events that would be an HR department’s worst nightmare.
Domont succeeds in making the sleek corporate office feel like a tense prison, one that slowly feels increasingly constricting as the events of the film unfold. It’s a flat and gray steel jungle that represents its inhabitants well. As the viewer is slowly drawn into Emily and Luke’s relationship, we witness Luke’s slow spiral into becoming someone more cruel as Emily thrives in their high-stakes world, leading to a disastrous mess for the couple. By the time we reach the end, we can already predict how the story will conclude.
That is perhaps the greatest weakness of “Fair Play” — it feels like we know how the entire story will end before we reach it. Despite some promising moments and a great performance from Ehrenreich, nothing about Luke’s arc feels particularly revelatory or unexpected. It’s a story of a man who feels threatened by a woman’s success — a story that has been told countless times before. Emily’s arc, in contrast, is more compelling as she starts to immerse herself in the toxic culture her peers freely revel in. The most interesting part of the film is a scene where Emily accompanies her male coworkers to a strip club and pays a stripper to grind on her. It’s a scene Dynover plays with a viciously hungry appetite and invites an interesting question about the nature of being an outsider in an exclusive club, and how you change in an effort to assimilate into a narrowly shaped world. However, “Fair Play” breezes past it disappointingly fast.
“Fair Play’s” commentary on gender dynamics, as a result, feels rather limited. The film isn’t interested in really getting into the nuances of gender dynamics in the workplace but is content to paint a portrait that leans toward conventionality. It is good for what it is, but the film ends up leaving you with a sense of wanting more.
Verdict: “Fair Play” is a competently made thriller with two great performances that is enjoyable to watch, but fails to stand out much.
