Netflix has added The Match, a South Korean movie about the iconic Go battle between Cho Hun-hyun and his protégé Lee Chang-ho, to be the best in the world at the hugely popular strategic board game.
The film, which was a box office smash in South Korea and is based on a true story, follows Cho Hun-hyun, South Korea's greatest Go player, known as the "Go Emperor". But he loses to his own student Lee Chang-ho (Yoo Ah-in), who becomes the youngest world champion in Go history.
Cho then sets about reclaiming his place at the top of the game.
Netflix teases about The Match [added Wednesday, May 7]: "When a legendary Go master loses his title to a one-time friend and protégé, he sets out to reclaim it in a high-stakes battle of wits and skill."
Squid Game actor Lee Byung-hun said about playing Cho[quotes via k-ennews]: "Cho Hun-hyun is such a legendary figure in the world of Go that he needs no introduction. He made history as South Korea's first world champion in Go. Meeting him during the filming process and listening to his stories, I realized how much his competitive nature and strong mindset played a role in his success. There was so much to learn from him.”
What is Go?
If you've not played Go, it has certain similarities with chess in that it's a two-player game, you have black and white pieces, and it's an intense strategy game that has been around for hundreds of years. However, the first player in Go has 361 possible moves as opposed to 20 in chess, as they aim to enclose more territory on the board than their opponent.
Netflix hit The Queen's Gambit did a marvelous job of conveying the psychological challenges of chess, and Lee Byung-hun had the same goal in The Match.
"While I focused on hand movements and technical aspects, the real challenge was portraying the psychological state of a Go player during a match. We had to convey emotions without facial expressions or movement, which was a major task for us as actors."
Is The Match worth a watch?
I’d say certainly yes, and especially if you enjoyed The Queen’s Gambit. Even more so if you’re into board games like I am, as you’re sure to appreciate the battle of wits. Plus, it's had encouraging reviews.
Board games aren't the most obvious subject for television and movies, but there have been a few over the years. A personal favorite is Game Night, a fun 2018 comedy starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, which sees a couple's murder mystery night become all too real. There’s also the 1985 movie Clue, based on Cluedo, and various productions around the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, most recently the Chris Pine movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
As yet, though, no one has made a movie or TV series about my personal favourite board game, Ticket to Ride (especially the Japan expansion map)!.
The Match is available on Netflix in the US and UK now. Check out our best movies on Netflix guide for more films to enjoy.
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