The Queen's Gambit Review

 Over the past week, I have sat back and watched The Queen's Gambit! While I normally don't do formal reviews for television shows or limited series, I was so enamored by this series that I felt it warranted one! I was so emotionally invested in all seven of these episodes! It's one of the best series I've seen in a while honestly, and each episode made me feel more for the character and the overall story! The storytelling and character study of Elizabeth Harmon is just incredible to watch! Her emotional journey is upsetting at times, but it's also triumphant as well in many ways, despite the obstacles in her path. This show is also able to present chess as one of the most pulse pounding sports to watch! Each move is so precise, and each movement, no matter how small or large, matters in the game as a whole, much like the Beth's movements in her own life. The chess board is a great representation of Beth's triumphs and failures, and I think that makes the whole show even more impressive as a whole. In some ways, her biggest opponent at times is herself, and she is able to find a way to beat that and become the international star she was destined for. 

Over the past three years, Anya Taylor-Joy has become one of my favorite actresses through great performances in Split, Thoroughbreds, and Emma, but I personally feel her performance as Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit might just be her best work to date, and that's saying something based on how good her performances are in the other projects I mentioned here. There's so much heartbreak and emotional trauma in her life with personal loss of female figures in her life, as well as desertion from many male figures in her life, and struggles with substance abuse (which at times wrestles with her genius) that you think Beth is going to be defeated by all of it. Even at her lowest point, Beth has people in her corner helping her out of the hole, and with this support, her keen intellect, poise and grace, and ability to ditch the poison in her life, she's able to take the world by storm taking kings and queens down in her path amassing a huge reputation and following as a grand master at a young age. There's a great quote Beth says where she compares chess to her life , and how it helps her escape some of the darkness around her. "Chess isn't always competitive. Chess can also be beautiful. It was the board I noticed first. It's an entire world of 64 squares. I feel safe in it. I can control it. I can dominate it. And it's predictable, so if I get hurt, I only have myself to blame." The quote really means so much to the show as a whole, and Beth ultimately takes this whole ideology to light, and rectifies her wrongs which is so uplifting to watch. I really hope Anya Taylor-Joy gets some Best Lead Actress nominations for Best Limited Series Actress at the Golden Globes and Emmys as she's just phenomenal here. Her performance made me laugh, cry, and cheer throughout the show. Watching her high points and low points throughout the show presents a great study of humanity as we're all capable of mistakes, but we can all find a way to get past it and defeat those mistakes. Beth Harmon is an incredible character. I love her sass, sense of style, pure beauty (she's absolutely gorgeous), and overall intelligence making her an absolute threat to all her opponents, even if it is herself! 

From the Kentucky Championship to the Moscow Championships in 1968, there's so many incredible chess match-ups to watch. I am so into the games as they happen as the music and movements of the pieces brings you right into the games. Anya Taylor-Joy's eyes really sell a lot of these games as she folds her hands under her chin watching her opponent make their move. While they're making their moves, Beth is thinking about how to counter that move, and I think it just makes the matches that much more exciting. While I'm not a chess expert at all, I love watching the different game styles and maneuvers throughout as they're always intriguing and have you on the edge of your seat. That final match-up in Moscow between Beth and Borgov had me calling moves and wanting the game to continue. They did such a good job making these chess matches look great. The performances of the cast during these matches made them so incredible to watch. Facial expressions and the ticking of the clock add to the ambience of the moment. Watching the graceful movements of the pieces as they move to each square is incredible to watch. In the middle of all these incredible matches is a female taking the challenge to experienced male players and defeating them, while also gaining the respect of these men and the countries she's playing in. It's really empowering to watch! 

While Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Beth Harmon is ultimately my favorite thing about the show, I think there's a lot of great supporting performances as well by Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel, Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny Watts, Harry Melling as Harry Beltik, Marcin Dorocinski as Borgov, and, IMO, a girl I'd nominate for Best Supporting Actress in Moses Ingram's performance as Jolene to name a few. This cast is excellent as a whole, and everybody matters in furthering the story. I like all the different costumes and interior designs of hotels and cinematography of Las Vegas, Moscow, Kentucky, etc.

This is a great character study show with chess as the main backdrop with so many other stories going on. This gets a 5/5 for several reasons: an excellent performance by Anya Taylor-Joy as Elizabeth Harmon, fantastic supporting performances that all are essential in shaping Beth's character and personality, exciting chess matches, great dialogue, an incredible period piece, great costume, make-up, and production design, and an excellent soundtrack make this one of the best series I've seen in some time. I'd highly recommend watching this as it's a series that makes you care about the characters you're watching and keeps you emotionally invested in each episode, which is not something all shows can do these days.