What happens when two newly engaged partners are up for the same promotion in their cutthroat workplace? Filmmaker Chloe Domont explores this complicated premise and its toxic aftermath in Fair Play, her directorial debut starring Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor and Oppenheimer’s Alden Ehrenreich.
Set in the pressure cooker of a fast-paced hedge fund (think: Industry), the thriller explores gender dynamics and double standards when it comes to ambition and success. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival in January, Fair Play is due on Netflix this fall. It is one of the buzziest titles to come out of the festival, and was bought by the streamer for a whopping $20 million after a bidding war.
Here’s everything you need to know about the highly anticipated drama.
When does Fair Play come out?
It will be released in select theaters on September 29, and then available to stream globally on Netflix on Friday, October 13.
What is it about?
Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:
“When a coveted promotion at a cutthroat financial firm arises, once supportive exchanges between lovers Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) begin to sour into something more sinister. As the power dynamics irrevocably shift in their relationship, the couple must face the true price of success and the unnerving limits of ambition. In her feature debut, writer-director Chloe Domont weaves a taut relationship thriller, staring down the destructive gender dynamics that pit partners against each other in a world that is transforming faster than the rules can keep up.”
The premise is personal for Domont, who previously worked on episodes of Billions and Ballers. “Why is it that even today, with all the progress that we’ve made, a man’s success is a win for the relationship, but when it’s the other way around, it feels like a threat?” she told Vanity Fair. “It felt like something that so many of us experience but are afraid to talk about and to confront.”
As for her choice in setting, Domont told Variety: “I thought [finance] was a great backdrop, because the high-stakes is ripe for drama. It feeds into the toxicity of the relationship, and vice-versa.”
Who else is in the cast?
Fair Play is mostly a two-hander carried by Dynevor and Ehrenreich. The film also stars Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky), Rich Sommer (Mad Men), and Sebastian De Souza (The Great). Behind the scenes, Knives Out director Rian Johnson is one of the producers.
Is there a trailer?
Watch the first preview below, along with some first-look photos.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.