Had this screenplay been made during the era it depicts, both the tone and--likely--the fascination with it would be negligible. Doris Day or Jane Fonda would have been cast in a breezy story of a girl genius, maligned and underappreciated by peers and family alike. An ugly-duckling story who transforms into a swan, decked out in the latest fashions to the envy of all.

Here, it's a heavy-handed story of melodramatic suffering that is kept on track by a strong production team and major performances from every cast member. It's all-too-well-trod story of abuse, addiction and transformation is leavened by being set in the rarefied world of professional chess, giving new zip to a tired and predictable story.

Both Anya Taylor-Joy and Marielle Heller give such convincing and empathic performances (as characters who have to earn our good will) that watching them is like a master class in creating a character. The arc of both their stories sparks and propels the narrative. Indeed, the entire cast is so pitch perfect surrounded by equally detailed art direction, it's hard to keep from binge watching this series. And that alone, given how trite the story actually is, makes this worthy of all the praise it has received.

(Now if we can just get the same production team to feature a sensational Moses Ingram--as Jolene--the same care and screen time, this will all have been worth it.)