Netflix has a hit with “Fair Play,” the erotic wall-street thriller premiered at Sundance last January, was soon after bought by the streamer for $20 million and has now become an immediate #1 on the Netflix charts.
This is why I can’t fault Netflix for consistently, and relentlessly, buying all of these well-reviewed indies at Sundance — they get a far larger audience on Netflix than they ever would in theaters.
If “Fair Play” were bought by IFC, SPC or Neon, it would have rapidly come and gone theatrically. It’s not really an awards player and critics reviews weren’t glowing enough to have it end up on year-end top 10 lists.
Now, because it’s been screened on Netflix, you have all sorts think pieces popping up on non-film web sites like Men’s Health, Just Jared, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle, among many more. It’s turned into a water cooler movie.
I had previously written …
“It’s not that surprising that Netflix bought “Fair Play” for an astounding $20 million. Is it worth that much money? I’m not sure. However, this is the kind of film that will have people talking […] it will likely turn It into a major conversation starter.”
“Fair Play” stars Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor as a Wall Street power couple who can’t get enough of each other, until a coveted promotion twists the gender powers around in their relationship. What does masculinity mean exactly in a relationship if the woman makes more than the man?
1-2 Special, a small-ish indie boutique, snapped up the U.S. distribution rights and set a December 18, 2026 release, which now has a trailer. It will screen at the New York Film Festival on September 28.