Why You Should Be Watching The Queen’s Gambit

It’s been said that we’re living through a golden age of television content. While some believe that this era is over and others maintain it’s still going on, there’s no doubt that each streaming service option is serving up platter after platter of mouth-watering TV goodness. From Breaking Bad (which didn’t originate on Netflix but has arguably become synonymous with it) to Amazon Prime’s American Gods and Sky’s Game of Thrones, there are plenty of amazing TV shows to check out these days. The latest of these is Anya Taylor-Joy’s excellent chess drama The Queen’s Gambit. Here’s why you should be watching it if you’re not already.

 

It’s changed the way we behave

 

No, really. The Queen’s Gambit has proven so transformative that it has actually altered our behavioural habits since it was released. The Queen’s Gambit first appeared on Netflix back in October 2020, and since then, it’s contributed to a huge rise in Google searches for chess-related terms like “chess move” and “Sicilian defence”. It’s no overstatement to say that The Queen’s Gambit has had a profound effect on popular culture. Don’t believe us? This awesome infographic from Betway should set the record straight:

 

 

The critics don’t lie

 

Although Rotten Tomatoes isn’t necessarily the most accurate metric of taste, it’s certainly reliable when it comes to a general impression of whether something is succeeding or failing in the public eye. The Queen’s Gambit is currently sitting on a rather astonishing RT rating of 97%, which means that percentage of critics gave it a positive review. The audience rating is slightly lower at 87%, but that’s to be expected, and it’s still a pretty incredible result for the show.

 

It’s inspired by an equally excellent book

 

It’s very hard to get a TV show wrong if the source material on which it’s based is, in itself, excellent. Such is the case with The Queen’s Gambit, which – believe it or not – isn’t actually based on a true story. The novel, however, is based on a real chess player, so it mixes fact and fiction to create the concoction we now see before us on our screens. If you love The Queen’s Gambit when you check it out on Netflix, do be sure to take a look at Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

 

It makes chess fascinating

 

Let’s face it – chess can be a little boring, can’t it? Although there are many of us who may love to play it and pore over its endless strategic permutations, the fact remains that watching professionals play chess isn’t particularly riveting. The Queen’s Gambit proves that with skilled cinematography, direction, and scripting, it’s possible to transform anything into a nail-biting and tense action sequence, even a sequence of chess moves. Watch it if you don’t believe us!

 

It sets the record straight on sexism

 

Of course, The Queen’s Gambit approaches the subject of sexism with a rather broad brush. It has to; it’s a piece of popular entertainment, not an academic dissertation, so it can’t fit every point that needs to be made about sexism into its relatively brief run time. However, it manages to be a surprisingly scathing indictment of the challenges women faced during the 1960s, especially in a scene as male-driven and patronising as the professional chess scene could be (and still can).

 

The performances are excellent

 

Lest you think you’re getting a straightforward biopic-style drama, think again. Anya Taylor-Joy (who was so mesmerising in The Witch) brings the full weight of her acting talent to bear on The Queen’s Gambit, making every single scene in which she appears a joy to watch. She’s very ably supported by an excellent cast including Bill Camp and Marielle Heller, so no matter who’s on screen at any given moment, The Queen’s Gambit is simply a joy to lose yourself in.

 

It’s inspired a museum piece

 

It’s true – The Queen’s Gambit isn’t just a piece of Netflix pop culture anymore. It inspired a museum piece in the Brooklyn Museum entitled “The Queen and the Crown”, sharing its space with Brit drama The Crown. The museum piece contains digital mockups of costumes from The Queen’s Gambit, full 360-degree recreations that you can look at and enjoy. The costume work in Gambit – courtesy of Gabrielle Binder – is absolutely stunning, so the museum piece is well worth checking out.

 

It’s a seriously high-class production

 

The writing, direction, and general set design in The Queen’s Gambit are all completely remarkable. The line between TV and movies is blurring every day, and The Queen’s Gambit represents a further step along for that mentality. At times, the quality of the production makes it impossible to think that you’re watching a miniseries; instead, it feels like a series of carefully-crafted films. If anyone held the artistic future of TV as a medium in doubt, they wouldn’t after The Queen’s Gambit.

 

Despite its prestige, it’s fun

 

You might have got the impression from this article that The Queen’s Gambit is somehow “hard work”. Many prestige pictures or “important” TV shows often feel very difficult to wade through, but The Queen’s Gambit absolutely bucks this trend. Every frame is a sprightly joy; the drama is absorbing, yes, but it’s also immensely funny and witty. Don’t think you’re not going to have a great time watching The Queen’s Gambit; it’s educational but also incredibly entertaining.