Netflix's drama miniseries The Queen's Gambit has proved so compelling that viewers are watching all seven episodes in a single sitting. The show, released in 2020, holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences describing it as "amazing" and "masterful."
A Chess Prodigy's Rise
The miniseries follows a young woman who discovers chess in an orphanage basement during the 1950s and rises to become a world-class player. It is adapted from the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as chess prodigy Beth Harmon, a role that earned her three major accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
The series itself won numerous awards, including 11 Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes and two Critics' Choice Television Awards.
Viewers and Critics Praise the Show
Audiences have hailed it as "the best thing ever," according to the Mirror. One viewer wrote on Reddit: "I turned it on because I had nothing else to watch and I wound up binging the whole entire series in one night. I cheered for each chess match like it was the Super Bowl. I don't understand why I was so enthralled but the storytelling is so masterful and everyone is amazing in this show."
Another said: "I just got off a 12-hour graveyard shift, I usually get home around 8am and put Netflix on to fall asleep. But when I decided to start The Queen's Gambit I quickly got a second wind and before I knew it I was awake watching for 7-8 hours straight! Never have I been so quick to click on the play next episode! This is definitely a must-binge even if you don't know much or anything about chess. The story telling, character development, casting and acting was top notch!"
A further viewer commented: "It's amazing that this is a Netflix original. This is like an old Hollywood production put on by pros in front of and behind the camera. So refreshing to see this level of art in this day and age."
Critical Acclaim and Cast
Professional critics have been equally effusive. Richard Roper in the Chicago Sun-Times said: "Raise your hand if you anticipated a coming-of-age, period-piece drama about a female chess prodigy in the 1950s and 1960s becoming perhaps the most addictive and binge-worthy series of 2020."
Nancy Durant in the Evening Standard said: "Even if you don't know your knight from your bishop it's thrilling, while the naturalistic script flows beautifully. Most satisfyingly, every time you think it's going to fall back on some awful 'woman in a man's world' trope, it just doesn't."
Linda Marric, writing in The Jewish Chronicle, stated: "Creators Scott Frank and Allan Scott have managed the impossible here. They have succeeded in turning a story about one of the most docile and unglamorous sports into something truly magical and outstanding."
The cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, Chloe Pirrie as Alice Harmon, Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel, Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley, Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Benny Watts, Moses Ingram as Jolene, Harry Melling as Harry Beltik and Isla Johnston as Young Beth Harmon.
The Queen's Gambit won dozens of awards, including 11 Primetime Emmy Award wins out of 18 nominations, for categories including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Cinematography and Outstanding Music Composition. It also won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Limited Series and Best Performance by an Actress, two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Best Limited Series and Best Actress, one Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor and one Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement.
