The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix Has Taken Over—But What Should You Watch Next?
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The Queen's Gambit? More like Netflix's dark horse—or black knight, if you will. (I promise there are no more bad chess puns in this post.)
The series, which some on the internet have lovingly dubbed “the chess show," follows Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), a serious, lonely, and refreshingly horny young prodigy who dominates the chess world and turns all the soft chess boys in her circle into her willing and eager pawns. Seriously, I defy you to find a better description than that.
According to Netflix, its new miniseries lauded by fans and critics (you can read Glamour's review here) has been breaking records left and right. In a press release from November 23, the streaming service shared that 62 million households viewed The Queen's Gambit in its first 28 days, making the Taylor-Joy–helmed series the “biggest scripted limited series on Netflix EVER.”
In fact, Netflix shared that the series has hit the number one spot in 63 countries and launched the 37-year-old novel from which it's based onto The New York Times best-seller list.
So yeah, people are very into the chess show. But what should all these new, budding chess fanatics watch next? Here are some shows and movies to add to your list after you finish The Queen's Gambit.
If you’re very into the ’60s aesthetic…
Set in the late 1950s to early ’60s, The Queen's Gambit sees Harmon go from a drab orphan with a tragic bowl cut to a sophisticated clothes hound with a penchant for all things beautiful. “[Cocreator Scott Frank] at one point was worried that she was getting too glamorous,” Taylor-Joy told Glamour. “I was like, ‘It’s in the show that she loves clothes. She can also be a chess champion. They are not mutually exclusive.’”
If the lush ’60s costumes and hotel sets really did it for you, might I suggest Mad Men? Come for the style; stay for the badass evolution of Peggy Olsen (Elizabeth Moss). Of course, you can never go wrong with any of the following choices.
Mad Men (2007–2015)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–)
The Crown season two (2017)
If you’re actually invested in the whole chess thing…
You're very much not alone. According to Netflix, Google search queries for chess have doubled since The Queen's Gambit hit the platform, while searches for “how to play chess” have hit a “nine-year peak.” Meanwhile, inquiries for “chess sets” on eBay are up 250%, and Goliath Games says its chess sales have increased over 170%. Chess.com, which now features Beth Harmon bots, has reportedly seen a five-fold increase in new players.
So it's fair to say that chess is having a moment. From Queen of Katwe starring Lupita Nyong'o to a couple of chess-themed episodes of your go-to favorite shows, here are a few options to get your next fix.
Queen of Katwe (2016)
Pawn Sacrifice (2014)
West Wing season 3, episode 15, “Hartsfield's Landing” (2002)
OG episode available on Netflix; 2020 special available on HBO Max
The Office season 5, episode 26, “Casual Friday” (2009)
If you’re extremely thirsty for more chess cowboy…
Thomas Brodie-Sangster—yes, the kid from Love Actually—stars in The Queen's Gambit as Benny, a swashbuckling…chess player…who sports a cowboy hat, a leather trench coat, and sparse blond mustache throughout the series. It doesn't sound hot on paper, but it is incredibly so.
The Queen's Gambit v Godless.jpg
Lucky for you, Brodie-Sangster also wears a cowboy hat in another Netflix series by TQG's Scott Frank. Godless, however, is a full-on western starring Jeff Daniels as Frank Griffin, the leader of a notorious band of outlaws seeking revenge on an old protégé.
Godless (2017)
If you currently stan Anya Taylor-Joy…
With Emma and The Queen's Gambit, 2020 has kind of been the year of Taylor-Joy, and her reign is not ending anytime soon. The actor is currently set to fill Charlize Theron's shoes as Furiosa in the next iteration of Mad Max.
However, Taylor-Joy has already captivated audiences in plenty of projects worthy of your attention. Here are just a few, from the absolutely terrifying The Witch to the dark comedy Thoroughbreds.
Emma (2020)
The Witch (2015)
Available to rent on Amazon Prime
Thoroughbreds (2018)
Available to rent on Amazon Prime
Emily Tannenbaum is an entertainment journalist, critic, and screenwriter living in L.A. Follow her on Twitter.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
