The backstory and the faithfulness to the world of video gaming and licensing is the epitome of an espionage tale that is a true story. Tetris is directed by Jon S. Baird. The conflicts that arise in this industry stir the plot of suspense in Tetris and make it thought-provoking and daring. Taron Egerton who we know from playing Elton John in Rocketman (2019) is Henk Rogers. Egerton takes on the role of the Businessman to bring the game of Tetris around the world which results in an inevitable ride.

Tetris is a biographical film full of suspense. The business side of making Tetris a bigger success had some dangerous and political loopholes. With the help of Tetris’ inventor Alexey Pajitnov (played by Nikita Efremov), Rogers takes chances to make Tetris a global phenomenon. The problems arise due to media proprietor Robert Maxwell (played by Roger Allam) and his son Kevin Maxwell (played by Anthony Boyle). While Rogers is supposedly on their side, they are not faithful to the deals and contracts they have signed which is why the rights to Tetris keep hitting plateaus which backtrack to Rogers. When he is in Russia trying to get copyrights signed over to help Tetris get more attention around the world, he finds himself in danger. With the political tensions and different Russia laws, Rogers is already at risk, but cannot afford to lose what he could accomplish. With one of the loyal creators Robert Stein (played by Toby Jones), it becomes clear that the dangerous misunderstandings link to the errors of Robert and his son Kevin. However, that does not mean that Tetris can’t still be a success.

The entrepreneurial mindsets are classy. There are times when the Maxwells have egotistical moments and are dismissive of the problems they have created for Rogers. That does not impact Rogers because knowing there are errors pushes him to succeed with getting the legit copyrights for Tetris. The vibe is for its hero to take what he can get in Tetris. Rogers and Pajitnov do what they can to prove what went wrong with the copyrights, but also how they can make it right.

The history of gaming makes the true story of Tetris an espionage experience. The movie features a number of discussions on the early days of computers, consoles, and even the mention of Gameboys. Tetris will blow your mind with all the innovations and steps involved in turning a profit in gaming. The political affiliations are where the film really strikes a realistic chord.

The political complications create enemies among the partnerships in Tetris. Rogers shows up in Russia, and a lot is misconstrued. There are also limited resources to help him with the language barriers and restricted access to ELORG (the company he must speak to in terms of contracts). The obstacles that surround Tetris are overwhelming. At times, the audience starts to resent the Maxwell family, because it becomes obvious that the lack of communication is because of them only caring about their own success. Clearly, they do not want to share their profits with others, but rather keep what they have to themselves. Rogers is a brainiac and knows that he is dealing with shady players. Tetris proves that taking risks is sometimes necessary to make a situation go smoothly, especially when it involves global profits with many marginal benefits.

Tetris will make viewers feel a bit hysterical because of the licensing conflicts being so messed up. The writing of the film is in-depth and includes very stressful frustrations that surround Rogers and Pajitnov. Rogers remains the bigger target since he is not a native. He lies and says he is a tourist, which is against the law. Pajitnov lives in Russia, but always wants Rogers’ presence to be limited. Tetris puts everyone on the line, both the good and the bad. How far will Rogers have to go to truly make ends meet for an amazing innovation?

What makes Tetris an experience of instigation is due to its continuity. The film is displayed in a motion of events with graphics, so its viewers feel as if they are playing a video game like ones from an Atari or an SNES Classic console. I felt the leveling up of Tetris was in video game mode due to the patterns of frustration for Rogers. In the film it is said Tetris is, “The perfect game.” I did not expect so much espionage and betrayal in the story. Although the presentation might not have been perfect, it was astounding, vibrant, and bonkers. Three and a half stars for Tetris.