Queens Gambit: Epic Netflix chess series is addictive

Review written by Jonathan W. Hickman

It’s the emphasis on the cost of genius that makes writer / director Scott Frank’s adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel The Queens Gambit thrilling. The world of competitive chess may thrill players and fans who study the game, but translating these rich emotions to the screen for competitors and non-players alike has been elusive.

It is only through a series of seven episodes that we are able to feel the power of obsession and understand the consequences it takes. Genius can be a curse.

Written by Tevis in 1983, The Queens Gambit has gained a cult following over the years. Tevis is the author of The Hustler in 1959 and The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1963. These two works have been adapted into excellent feature films. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that he started publishing novels again, with the sci-fi tome Mockingbird. Gambit is a work of fantasy fiction, but one based on the effects of addiction, a recurring theme of Tevis.

In this Netflix adaptation, Tevis Gambit protagonist Beth Harmon is played by Anya Taylor-Joy. She is the landmark actress who burst into our popular consciousness in Robert Eggers’ horror indie The VVitch: A New-England Folktale and her starring starring starring M. Night Shyamalan in Split and Glass. In addition to embodying ethereal innocence, Taylor-Joy conveys a subversive inner strength in almost any performance. And here, as a haunted chess prodigy, she’s given one of her most demanding roles.

The Queens Gambit is an unusual coming-of-age story. Harmon (Taylor-Joy) is an orphan who discovers she has an almost supernatural fondness for the game of chess. The setting begins in the late 1950s. The prospect of a young girl playing the game competitively is novel. But the idea that a genius could come out of a humble Kentucky orphanage is perhaps more of a fantasy.

When Harmon meets the orphanage keeper, Mr. Shaibel (a formidable Bill Camp), she is instantly drawn to his chessboard in the basement. Shaibel is cautious and puzzled. Should he engage with this little girl? It’s a risky bet for a lonely man wandering off into a damp basement. But her intuition is that she is special. He is right.

After playing Harmon and losing, he introduces her to the local high school chess coach. And over time, she plays and beats everyone on the team, all simultaneously. It’s hard for me to contain how thrilling these scenes are. While playing chess in high school, I was absent from the game for many years. Watching the meticulously and precisely staged chess scenes enchanted me. And I won’t be the only one captivated.

As Harmon ages and develops an addiction to tranquilizers and alcohol, she leaves the orphanage and finds her way back to competitive chess. Adopted at the age of 15 or 16, she joined the household of Alma and Allston Wheatley. The Wheatleys aren’t doing too well, having lost a daughter. And when Allston abandons them, Alma turns to Harmon for help. The two women form a lasting but quirky mother-daughter relationship. Chess becomes a focal point.

Accomplished feature director Marielle Heller (see last year’s stunning A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) plays Alma. Although Heller has performed in the past, her performance is so good here that I suspect we’ll see her on camera more often. As a jaded mother and despised wife, the character is a perfect companion for the chess-obsessed Harmon. And by playing the part at a completely different speed than Taylor-Joy, Heller makes Alma distinct and memorable.

Taylor-Joy, who plays Harmon from 15 to 20, is a revelation. Not only does she perform well against Hellers’ performances, but she credibly sells herself as a tortured genius. Part of this is due to the special attention paid to the game itself. Every move on set feels authentic and Taylor-Joy makes so many confident choices for Harmon.

The history of this project goes back several years. At one point, the late Heath Ledger was to direct it as a feature film with Ellen Page in mind. If this couple seems inspired, The Queens Gambit gets a systematic and detailed serial treatment. Seven 60-minute episodes allow the story to breathe and the characters to develop. This is a testament to the long form, because while you may binge, watching the show in several installments can give viewers a chance to reflect on the issues raised from episode to episode.

And as the series grows, a hiatus is a good idea. Some viewers may find the geographic jumps jarring, especially when things move in Moscow, but these scenes give the whole project an epic and socially relevant sweep. It’s a crowd-pleasing Americana narrative with a subtle dark undertone.

This series is beautifully produced with director Frank reteaming with his director of photography Godless Steve Meizier. Production designer Uli Hanisch (Cloud Atlas) manages shift time and locations (including transport from Harmon to Russia) seamlessly. The series is a formidable time capsule from the late 1950s to the late 1960s. It is a unique sports film that examines feminism while addressing the disturbing politics of the Cold War.

The Queens Gambit is one of the smartest and most engaging Netflix series on the streaming platform right now.

A RottenTomatoes.com Tomatometer-endorsed reviewer Jonathan W. Hickman is also an entertainment lawyer, college professor, novelist, and filmmaker. He is a member of the Atlanta Film Critics Circle, the Southeastern Film Critics Association, and the Georgia Film Critics Association. For more information on Jonathan, visit: FilmProductionLaw.com or DailyFIlmFix.com