Are you needing something to binge watch to help you calm down before the election? I highly recommend The Queen's Gambit on Netflix. What an absolute delight!
This is the story of an orphan girl who is taught to play chess by the orphanage janitor and becomes a world class player. The story is based on Walter Tevis's 1983 novel.
We first meet Beth, in the 1950s, as an 8 year old who has just lost her mother in a car accident. Her father is not around. She is sent to an orphanage that routinely tranquilizes the girls to keep them compliant. This leads to a lifetime struggle with addiction for Beth.
When sent to the basement to clean chalkboard erasers, Beth encounters the janitor playing chess. She harasses him until he finally agrees to teach her how to play. She quickly improves and becomes obsessed and a young chess prodigy.
We follow Beth into her twenties and the 1960s where she is determined to become the best chess player in the world, as she struggles with her own demons and addictions. The adult Beth is played by Anya Taylor-Joy who is magnificent.
The series is beautifully photographed. I never would have imagined I would be so mesmerized watching chess games. The other characters are equally enchanting. This definitely deserves 5 starts and just might be what you need to distract you for a bit.
