“Tetris” is a biographical thriller about the history of the videogame by the same name. It was released on March 15, 2023  and was directed by Jon S. Baird and written by Noah Pink.

The movie, based on a true story, follows Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton), a game publisher who discovers the game “Tetris” at a convention and falls in love with it. He tries to buy the rights to the game, but there’s one problem: the game came from the USSR. Rogers goes on to travel over to Russia and fight for the game, facing opposition from both large corporations and the KGB. 

While the premise for this movie initially struck me as odd, the film drew me in pretty quickly. “Tetris” is a well-balanced adventure, with enough excitement and heart to be worthwhile. There’s a lot of moving pieces, but like the titular game the movie is named after, they all come together to form a cohesive whole.

The performances were easily the best part of the movie. Taron Egerton was a standout, bringing charm and depth to his character which elevates the film as a whole. Nikita Efremov did a great job as Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of Tetris. His chemistry with Egerton captures the friendship that their real-life counterparts are based on. Sofia Lebedeva, who played Henk’s translator Sasha, expertly juggles the different sides of her character. Anthony Boyle, playing business mogul Kevin Maxwell, gives a surprisingly three-dimensional performance as well. Togo Igawa has a small, but nevertheless memorable role as the iconic Hiroshi Yamauchi.

“Tetris” had solid writing, but it was a tad inconsistent. The script is overall pretty good, but a few of the lines feel unnatural and the jokes don’t always land. Still, the writing manages to work where and when it mattered most.

The movie’s pacing is masterfully done, starting quickly to pull you in and then slowing down to dive deep into the story. The editing of the movie is another strong point; the colors pop and glitchy 8-bit visuals provide the film with a strong personality.

Synth music and 80’s pop songs are featured prominently in the movie. I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of this choice, but I don’t think it was objectively bad. Fans of the “Stranger Things” soundtrack should love the music in “Tetris.”

“Tetris” was by no means a perfect movie, but I think it is worth watching. The action is exciting and the characters are charming, and the whole film comes together in a satisfying way. Even if you’re not a fan of “Tetris” the game, I’d recommend giving this movie a shot. I would give “Tetris” 6.1 Rucker points out of a possible 7.13.