Have you watched The Queen’s Gambit? I noticed it on the popular movies/shows list on Netflix over the last couple weeks, but I was initially wary (a show about chess? would it be boring?). But after my mom raved about it (as well as all the press it’s been getting), we decided to give it a try.
Turns out, it’s not boring at all! “A glamorous and wrenching view of chess, set in the 1950s and ’60s, it centers on the fictional character Beth Harmon (first Isla Johnston, then Anya Taylor-Joy), a child prodigy who discovers the game in a Kentucky orphanage. Despite punishing addictions to alcohol and tranquilizers, Beth, clad in Gabriele Binder’s elegant period costumes, plays and trains obsessively, rising through the rankings until she faces the world’s best. Which makes her something like the thinking woman’s Rocky,” wrote Alexis Soloski for The New York Times.
I thought Anya Taylor-Joy was fantastic as the lead — her combination of subtle expressions and intense stares was captivating. I also loved Moses Ingram, who plays Jolene, Harmon’s childhood best friend, in the show. And, if you’re a Bill Camp fan, he plays Mr. Shaibel who is an important part of Harmon’s story.
Anyway! If you’re looking for a new show to watch, I highly recommend The Queen’s Gambit. What have you watched lately and loved?
P.S. If you’re curious what professional chess players think about the show — if the games, tournaments, and players were portrayed accurately — this interview with Garry Kasparov, one of the best chess players of all time and an advisor to the show, is an interesting reading.
P.P.S. More shows we’ve loved.