One of Netflix’s newest films, Fair Play, has been met with mixed feelings among critics and audiences. Its Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 87% while its audience score rests at a much lower 51%, and it’s easy to see why. The film follows a seemingly happy couple, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), as they both aim to climb the corporate ladder at their respective jobs as analysts at a hedge fund firm. The caveat with their situation lies in the fact that they both work for the same firm. Furthermore, their relationship violates company policy, which means they’re forced to keep it a secret from their colleagues, setting the stage for an inevitable explosive clash within their relationship.

In the beginning, Luke comes across as a good guy who is completely enamored by Emily. In many ways, he seems like a quintessential nice guy. Although keen eyed viewers will have noticed the signs right away that Luke’s love for Emily was fragile and conditional on whether he felt more successful than her. Despite having just proposed to Emily, Luke begins to sabotage their relationship the moment she’s promoted to Portfolio Manager, making her his new boss.

Therein lies the catalyst for how the rest of Fair Play will unfold and why critics and audiences can’t seem to agree on their opinions of the film. In many ways, the movie isn’t what viewers expected, nor is the outcome a comfortable one to sit with. Couple that with the film’s portrayal of female rage, and it’s no surprise that audiences and critics remain divided.

The Film Isn’t What Audiences Expected
Netflix

Fair Play is a film that aims higher than where audiences are seemingly willing to go. Rather than meet them where they’re at, the film requires viewers to question their own beliefs regarding the concepts unfolding on screen. Such a feat can be uncomfortable to do, especially if audiences go into the movie blind to such a notion. While the film was marketed as an erotic thriller, it acts more like a microcosm for understanding the consequences of male fragility. As a result, the film can easily leave viewers feeling defensive or uneasy once the credits begin to roll.

The film explores what happens when women outshine and outperform certain men, particularly men who are unable to admit that women can succeed based on merit rather than their attractiveness. Despite climbing the proverbial corporate ladder because she deserves it, Luke is unable to believe such an occurrence is possible. Since she nabbed the promotion instead of him, in his eyes, it must be because she slept with her boss.

Such a concept isn’t new to viewers. However, the absence of the erotic element the film purported to have and the depth in which Fair Play portrays a disintegrating relationship as a result of the man’s inability to reconcile his ultimate jealousy of his fiancé’s success doesn’t make for a necessarily fun viewing experience.

Related: Fair Play Review: A Hot Battle of the Sexes on Wall Street

Portraying Legitimate Female Rage
Netflix

While plenty of films have explored the notion of female rage, it’s a relatively new endeavor when it comes to filmmaking. Furthermore, accurately depicting it onscreen requires a lot of nuanced storytelling, which isn’t always done successfully. Fair Play isn’t one of those films, however, it’s not always a relatable experience to portray. As a result, critics have praised the difficult feat, while audiences have seemingly been left uneasy by how Emily ultimately acts on her anger.

The kind of legitimate female rage she experiences as the film progresses is more than just mere anger. She’s left questioning her sense of self as well as her faith in Luke and their relationship, all because of his inability to acknowledge her merits. Such occurrences warrant her actions following Luke’s behavior as the events of the film unfold. There are a multitude of layers regarding Emily’s anger, and how Luke treats her following her career success is the catalyst for their ultimate demise and her subsequent rage. Similar rage has been portrayed in films before, but a major difference with Emily is that she isn’t depicted as crazy, contrary to what Luke would have her believe.

Related: Reptile: Why Benicio Del Toro’s Performance Is Its Saving Grace

The Ultimate Outcome Is Uncomfortable
Netflix

The way in which Luke ultimately devolves toward the end of the film is uncomfortable to reconcile, as is Emily’s response to her experiences in the aftermath of her promotion. However understandable her behavior might be, it ultimately leaves viewers questioning if what they saw onscreen was justified. By doing so, audiences must ask themselves what they would do if put in the same situation.

Since society itself has not collectively reached a universally accepted opinion on the matter, it’s a tough enterprise for audiences to navigate on their own. As a result, some may be uncomfortable with the answers they have or the mere notion of having to think about such possibilities at all. The movie speaks to a larger issue, and it ends with a definitive conclusion that easily leaves audiences discomforted.

To be clear, Fair Play is a well-made and thought-provoking movie worth watching. However, it’s not necessarily an enjoyable film to partake in. Rather, it carves out space for a specific conversation about the power dynamics of relationships that many people aren’t ready to have with themselves, let alone others. As a result, it’s an ugly, uncomfortable film to watch, especially toward the end when the relationship really falls apart. It’s no wonder critics and audiences can’t agree.

Fair Play is currently available to stream on Netflix.