The Tetris movie looks like a surprisingly good Cold War thriller

Tetris is coming to Apple TV this March and it isn't your typical video game movie

(Credit: Apple)

The first trailer for a new Tetris film coming to Apple TV this March has dropped, and it looks slicker than it has any right to.

Telling the true story behind the game’s Western release during the tail-end of the Cold War, it looks like a high-stakes legal thriller and a far cry from the usual video game movies we’re used to seeing.

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Tetris movie

• 📺 Apple has dropped a trailer for its upcoming Tetris movie

• ⚔ The film tells the story of the legal battle for the classic puzzle game

• 🤔 There are a few more car chases than you might expect

• 🙌 Tetris will release on Apple TV on March 31

Starring Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers, it follows the dutch entrepreneur as he tries to secure the distribution rights to Tetris, meeting the game’s Russian creator, Alexy Pajitnov, and navigating the many functionaries of the Soviet Union during a time of tension between the country and the US.

Like all good true-to-life stories, it’s probably stretching facts a little bit – we’re not sure how many car chases Rogers was involved in during his trips to Moscow – but it looks like a respectful retelling of the story behind what is arguably one of the most important games ever.

Tetris remains one of the best-selling games of all time, having been ported to countless consoles and platforms since Pajitnov created the first playable version in 1984. That it’s still enjoyed on modern systems today and was ever able to find its way to the West from the Soviet Union, just makes its longevity that much more impressive.

In an interview with GQ back in 2020, Egerton said the upcoming film is “definitely more Social Network than Lego Movie”, which bodes well for the final release. Although if you do want a more run-of-the-mill video game adaptation rather than a behind-the-scenes story, at least you have the Super Mario Bros. film to look forward to, with all its easter eggs and questionable accents.

Tetris will be available to stream through Apple TV Plus on March 31. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber, you can get three months of Apple TV and Apple Music for free right now. Not subbed to Game Pass? Save $23 with our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 12-month discount code.