Kasparov may not qualify as a conventional underdog, but Rematch frames his decision to play Deep Blue as a pivotal and defining battle, not just because of his undefeated record and pride but as a harbinger of the looming computer age. “How do you make a computer blink?” was the catchy slogan IBM used to promote the event.
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In one corner, the shy, socially awkward champ (played by English actor Christian Cooke), his doting mother Klara (Trine Dyrholm, The Legacy) and manager Roger Laver (Aidan Quinn).
In the other, the programmer whose life’s work was spent developing Deep Blue, an ambitious executive (played by The Tudors’ Sarah Bolger) who saw the stunt as a ladder-climbing opportunity and the ruthless boss of the tanking IBM.
A key theme of Rematch is whether the machine – a hulking metal frame whose inner red glow is reminiscent of the computer Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey – can surpass Kasparov’s intellectual, humanistic and instinctive strategies. It’s a question that hovers over Rematch and much contemporary discussion about AI.
Rematch doesn’t provide a conclusive answer. Rather, it presents the matches as a noble experiment on the part of Kasparov and the programmers, which was ultimately sacrificed to corporate interests. It’s worth noting that no chess player today can beat the engine, whose computing power can predict and evaluate moves way beyond what the human brain is capable of.
Despite the occasional lapse into biopic cliche, Rematch mostly gets it right. It was directed and co-written by Canadian Yan England and won the International Competition grand prize at the 2024 Series Mania festival.
Rematch is now streaming on 10 Play.
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