Review: 'Tetris' Is A Nostalgic Blast From The Past | SXSW

(L-R) Taron Egerton and Nikita Efremov in Tetris, premiering March 31, 2023 on Apple TV+.

Let’s get this out of the way; “Based on a true story.” This is the opening title card of Tetris, and somehow, it becomes harder to believe as the film plays out. Tetris follows Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton), a video game salesman based out of Tokyo who, while at an expo in Las Vegas, stumbles upon an unknown game comprised of little chunks of four squares arranged in different ways, a game we’d all come to know (and have a love/hate relationship with). When Henk Rogers finds himself in the middle of an intercontinental mixup and scramble to lock down the distribution rights for Tetris on various platforms and in different locations, all goes awry as he has to go straight to the source to get exactly what he’s looking for. Directed by Jon S. Baird (Filth), Tetris uses his flair and style to create a visually intriguing film but underutilizes said visuals, making them more of a gimmick than a true part of the film.

(L-R) Togo Igawa, Nino Furuhata and Taron Egerton in Tetris, premiering March 31, 2023 on Apple TV+.

To get behind Tetris, you’d think that you need to be an avid fan of the games, but because of the way the film is structured and the story it tackles, knowing the ins and outs of the game isn’t a true requirement to enjoy this soviet-spy thriller. In case you haven’t watched the trailer or want more explanation, Tetris takes Rogers (Egerton) to the 1980s Soviet Union in hopes of connecting with the creator of Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov), so he can purchase worldwide handheld distribution rights for the game. It’s at the point that the Russian government’s intentions become clear that we realize how ridiculous this story is but continue to watch because of how well-made the movie is. It’s a difficult task to make the origin story of a game like Tetris, no matter how wild it truly is, this dramatic, a testament to the filmmakers’ flair and script, which turn a confusing negotiation into a high-stakes, tense Soviet thriller.

The undeniable charm of Tetris is primarily thanks to its cast, led by Taron Egerton in one of his best performances to date. Egerton’s charm and unaware persona lighten the mood of the film, making characters that should plainly be unlikable likable, and makes for great comedy in the second act. However, Egerton isn’t the only performer to stand out during the film, as Nikita Efremov (portraying Tetris’ creator Alexi) brings most of the film’s heart. Speaking of the second act, while entertaining, the pacing is terrible. It’s at this that Tetris takes itself too seriously and refuses to break from the formula it wants to follow, resulting in a messy, dragged-out middle portion of a film that should tonally be airy. That said, one of the biggest issues with Tetris is how it places itself on the edge of being a lighthearted video game movie and a commentary/USSR spy film. If you want to incorporate the latter, you need to fully commit to it and go deeper than just the surface. That said, this may be almost as good as it gets for a direct-to-streaming movie.

Taron Egerton, Sofia Lebedeva and Nikita Efremov in Tetris, premiering March 31, 2023 on Apple TV+.

To be fair, Tetris is shockingly dramatic, making good use of what it can do to sell the truth of these events and use them as stepping stones to the downfall of the Soviet Union, if you can believe that. Tetris might also have the best use of The Final Countdown I’ve seen in film and certainly has the best use of I Need A Hero since Shrek 2. While Tetris falls victim to the downsides of overindulging and stretching a plot too thin without enough material, the film does so in a slick enough manner while relying on the stylization and intrigue that its plot brings to keep viewers drawn in long enough to get them to the film’s final minutes, which deliver in excess. For as much as you can pick Tetris apart and find its flaws, you can appreciate the film’s heart and the charming nature of the entire cast. Tetris is for all audiences, as simple as it can be, but especially for a new generation who’ve recently discovered the game as a fun way to pass time during monotonous parts of their day, just as much as it’s for Gen X’ers and millennials.

Tetris arrives on Apple TV+ on March 31.