When it first came out during the 90s, many thought Chloe Domont’s Fair Play was an erotic thriller, but the film is far more focused on intense relationship drama, with Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) leading the cast.
They portray Emily and Luke, a young couple in the finance sector on Wall Street, where fortunes are made and lost within hours. Their romance, already breaching workplace policies, faces an even bigger test when Emily receives a promotion Luke believed was meant for him.
A promotion meant to celebrate love turns into a battle of pride (Photo: Fair Play/Media Rights Capital (MRC), Star Thrower Entertainment, and T-Street)The Love Story
At the beginning of Fair Play, Emily and Luke are completely smitten with each other. They are so deeply connected that they abandon parties just to spend private moments together.
Freshly engaged and sharing a modest yet charming flat in New York, the couple keep their relationship hidden from their colleagues. Each morning, they part ways before arriving at work separately, maintain formal interactions at the office, and take extra precautions to avoid raising suspicions about their secret bond.
What Changes Things
A sudden vacancy at work sets off the chain of events that alters their bond. Emily catches wind of gossip suggesting that Luke might step into the open position and, thrilled, she quickly shares the rumour with him.
However, things take an unexpected turn when it is Emily, and not Luke, whom the firm’s boss (played by Eddie Marsan) chooses for the promotion. Although Luke tries to be supportive at first, his pride takes a heavy blow as Emily’s career progresses.
It doesn’t take long before envy and bitterness start surfacing in Luke’s actions. He immerses himself in aggressive self-improvement seminars and videos, eventually accusing Emily of having used inappropriate means to earn her rise in the company.
Troubled by Luke’s deteriorating attitude, Emily tries to help him by lobbying quietly for his advancement at work, praising him to the firm’s leadership. Unfortunately, these efforts bear no fruit since management has already dismissed Luke as a liability to the team.
Feeling desperate, Luke takes a reckless approach: he kneels before his boss, pleading for a better position and stressing how vital the job is to him. When that fails, he barges into a company conference, publicly exposing his relationship with Emily, hoping that if he has nothing left to lose, she would suffer alongside him.
The High Point
The film’s long-drawn climax starts at a party following the humiliating conference outburst. Emily tracks Luke down, finding him drunk and dishevelled. An explosive argument breaks out in front of other partygoers and then continues in the restaurant’s bathroom.
Despite the heated exchange, things escalate into a physical encounter, but Emily, feeling unsafe, asks Luke to stop. When he refuses, he assaults her before fleeing the venue.
The next day, Emily repairs her standing with her boss and firmly decides to sever ties with Luke after the horrifying ordeal. She covers her tracks by claiming Luke had been stalking her all along and denies ever having a relationship with him.
Returning to their shared apartment, she discovers Luke packing his things to move in with his brother. Unashamed of his previous behaviour, he shows no regret. It is at this moment that Emily flips the power balance entirely, meeting cruelty with cruelty.
She systematically breaks Luke down both emotionally and physically, forcing him into submission and a desperate plea for forgiveness. Only after securing an admission of guilt does she command him to wipe his own blood off the floor and leave her home permanently.
The film’s ending reflects less on getting revenge and more on reclaiming personal dignity. Emily, who had earlier sacrificed her authority for the sake of harmony in their romance, now fiercely reclaims her independence and refuses to protect the fragile ego of her partner any longer.
Once it becomes clear to her that the relationship cannot be salvaged, she does whatever it takes to restore her strength and sense of self-worth, free from any loyalty to a man who betrayed her trust.
