Tetris (2023)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A high-stakes drama follows the intense legal and political battle to secure the rights to the iconic game Tetris during the Cold War.
The story
At the 1988 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Henk Rogers of Bullet-Proof Software discovers Tetris, a captivating puzzle game developed by Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov. As the game's potential becomes clear, Rogers embarks on a perilous journey across the globe—from the United States to Japan and into the heart of the Soviet Union. He must navigate complex international negotiations and navigate the treacherous landscape of the Cold War to secure the rights for the game. Amidst the high-stakes environment, Rogers faces intense pressure to secure the rights for Nintendo's upcoming handheld console, leading to a desperate race against time and political obstacles.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1988, Henk Rogers discovers the game Tetris in Las Vegas and begins a quest to secure its rights. He navigates a web of conflicting licenses involving British entrepreneurs and the Soviet firm ELORG. After securing a deal for the Japanese market, he pitches the game to Nintendo, eventually securing a deal for the Game Boy. To finalize the rights, Rogers travels to Moscow, where he faces a corrupt Communist Party official, Valentin Trifonov, who attempts to exploit the game for political gain. Amidst a high-stakes car chase and a tense standoff with the KGB, Rogers manages to secure the rights for Nintendo. The film concludes with the game becoming a global phenomenon, the formation of The Tetris Company, and a lasting friendship between Rogers and Pajitnov.
- First release year
- 2023
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English; Russian; Japanese
- Directors
- Jon S. Baird
- Writers
- Noah Pink · writer
- Cast and characters
- Taron Egerton · Henk Rogers; Nikita Yefremov; Sofia Lebedeva; Anthony Boyle; Toby Jones
- Genres
- biographical; political thriller
- Themes
- Cold War politics; intellectual property; international diplomacy
- Tone and mood
- high-stakes; tense; fast-paced
- Premise and plot tags
- biopic; true events; video game history
- Source material / true-story basis
- True events
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Production trivia
- The film's visual effects used a 'blocky' pixel art style to match the 1980s aesthetic.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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