Where: Netflix
When: Now
Bingeability: High – 7 x 45-60 min eps.
Short Version: If you scrolled past because ‘chess is boring’, scroll back. Click. Consume all of it.
Suitable for Kids: Not unless your kids love chess….which they probably don’t. Even then…..No.
Given movies don’t exist anymore apart from B Grade Christmas Netflix trash, when a good quality series comes along (not looking at you Tiger King…you only got us because we were weak and quarantined) it really stands out. Sometimes it will be in a genre that you least expect. I can’t remember the last time I watched a great mini-series about an orphaned 1960s Chess Grandmaster/fashion icon, but this is certainly the best one I have seen.
“But I hate chess, its boring and I don’t understand it anyway, surely I can just watch the new season of Below Deck instead?” Well internet friend, yes, yes you can watch Captain Lee and his impeccably manicured beard, but I have to keep you informed on what you are missing out here. This isn’t really about chess. Sure it is a central plot point, but Anya Taylor-Joy is simply sensational in this and whether it be chess, lawn bowls or competitive knitting, you will just get hooked in by the fantastic performances and very well written characters. But I like chess so that was cool to watch too.
So what is it actually about? Taylor-Joy stars as Beth Harmon, an orphaned chess child prodigy who fights her way through a male dominated world to try and dominate her state, then the country and onto the world. But it is mainly about the relationships she builds from her time in the orphanage, right through her life. The performance is so good, that you actually get excited when she wins chess matches. Crazy hey. Not sure if that is the quarantine talking but watch it and see if you agree.
The supporting cast is top notch, with a large group filtering in and out to support Taylor-Joy, but the biggest shock was to see good old Dudley Dursley all grown up and moved on from annoying Harry Potter all day. Bit of a glow-up too, perhaps not on the Neville Longbottom level, but he would be in the top 3 former HP stars. Also keep a look out for one of the wildlings from Game of Thrones…he wears a funny hat so isn’t hard to spot!
This is the sort of show that has you crying out for a season 2, but the story is so beautifully finished and tied up in a nice little bow by the end of the series, that it just wouldn’t do it justice. So set aside about 7 hours of your life, put on your comfy pants and just know that by the end of hour 7 you will have downloaded ‘chess with friends’ onto your phone.
5 out of 5 pawns – Just brilliant. If you love Anya Taylor-Joy go watch her in Emma. We reviewed that here
You might also be interested in
-
We skipped our way down the yellow brick road last night all the way to The Adelaide Festival Centre to see The Wizard of Oz! This updated version of the absolute classic stars Anthony Warlow, WICKED’s leading ladies Lucy Durack (Glinda) and Jemma Rix (Wicked Witch of the West) and Samantha Dodemaide as Dorothy. Jemma Rix as the Wicked Witch of the West was a standout for us, especially my daughter who thought her cackle was hilarious. We also loved John Xintavelonis as the lion, Alex Rathgeber as the Tin Man and Eli Cooper was very funny as Scarecrow. Even though all of the performances were great, it was a little dog called Toto who stole the show getting a great reaction every time he made an appearance. The set is fantastic and the costumes even more so. Glinda's dress especially. And all of your favourite Wizard of Oz songs are in there. Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Ding Dong, We're Off To See The Wizard. We were whistling the whole way home! So is it good for kids? I took my 5 year old to the 7:30pm session and being a 2.5 hour show including 20 minute interval she was…
-
Where: Netflix When: NowBingeability: High - 7 x 45min eps.Short Version:Oh. My. God. What the hell did my eyeballs just consumeSuitable for Kids: NO NO NO WAY! How is it humanly possible to describe this insanity? Lets go with this. Do you enjoy;True CrimeNature docosJerry SpringerUS American reality shows on HayU where people have like 5 wives but its pretty much just a cult.If you answered yes to one or all of these questions then do I have a show for you. Do I ever. Tiger King tells the story of quite possibly the most insane group of whack jobs ever assembled on screen at one time. Its sort of like The Avengers…..with meth and tigers. Focusing on Joe Exotic, who once upon a time owned what can loosely be described as a zoo that housed a bucketload of tigers, but is more accurately described as Jerry Springer with tigers, Tiger King just needs to be seen to be believed. Don’t get me wrong, Joe is stark raving bonkers, but he is not alone here. Everyone in this show is nuts and a criminal. You will finish this show and realise that you aren’t really rooting for a good or bad…
-
There are A LOT of online learning resources out there and since COVID-19 and homeschooling came along the choice of which ones to try has been a bit overwhelming. We saw the MathsOnline program pop up on Facebook and decided to give their FREE trial a go. MathsOnline works using the Australian curriculum using online video tutorials to teach maths to primary and secondary aged kids K-12, including Year 11 and 12 general, advanced and extension maths. We gave it a try with my 7 year old and the first thing we liked is that the tutorials are short (4-9 minutes) and very clear and easy to understand and follow. There's not too many fancy animations, sound effects and other distractions, they're short, sharp and shiny. Learning online this way also means you can pause, rewind and reply where you need to. You can go over and over until you get it and work at your own pace. So great for kids who have trouble keeping up in class or are too shy to ask lots of questions or ask for help. Following each tutorial there is a test or printable worksheet to make sure kids have understood properly what…
