If you mention the game Tetris to almost anyone who plays video games, they’re going to tell you about learning to play the game or how it’s one of their favorites. The game is nothing short of iconic, but it almost never made it to gaming consoles or arcades as well. Between lies, fake contracts, Soviet-Era business restrictions, and threats of imprisonment – the game somehow found its way to the market and into the hearts of players.
The story of Tetris takes more twists and turns than it’ll take to clear the lines in the game. And now, it’s become a movie on AppleTV+.
Tetris not only tells the story of the game but of Henk Rogers ( Taron Egerton) who discovers TETRIS in 1988 at CES in Vegas. The game captivates him, and despite being already behind on the bills of a failed game he tried to launch, he decides to try to bring Tetris to the masses. What he doesn’t realizes is the rights aren’t as cut and dry as they should be, and it takes him from Japan to Russia multiple times. He leverages his home, his life, and a lot more all for a video game.
With spies, KGB agents, and other video game companies out to get Henk, the story of Tetris seems larger than life. The battle for Tetris seems like one that normal people would have given up on shortly after it started, but Rogers continues to fight for a game he sees a bright future for. And, no doubt, his gamble was worth the payoff for gamers world wide.
The Soviet-era drama seems like the most unlikely story for one of the most iconic video games. But at each twist and turn, you find yourself pulled further in the story. It seems like the fates were against Tetris becoming the pop-culture-changing game that it actually ended up being. The game still has a hold on gamers and new players find it every day. But the back story behind the game, is just as interesting as the game itself.
Tetris is a fun watch and the integration of the game graphics and the compelling story will keep viewers engaged and will bring in an audience who may not be as interested in the game itself. It is now streaming on AppleTV+.
Overall Rating
About Tetris
(Streaming on Apple TV+) Tells the unbelievable story of how one of the world’s most popular video games found its way to avid players around the globe. Henk Rogers ( Taron Egerton) discovers TETRIS in 1988, and then risks everything by traveling to the Soviet Union, where he joins forces with inventor Alexey Pajitnov ( Nikita Efremov) to bring the game to the masses. Based on a true story, ‘Tetris’ is a Cold War-era thriller on steroids, with double-crossing villains, unlikely heroes and a nail-biting race to the finish.
Starring Taron Egerton, Nikita Efremov, Sofia Lebedeva, Anthony Boyle, Toby Jones
Directed by Jon S. Baird
(Apple TV+)
