Disney Plus adds ‘masterpiece’ compared to one of Netflix’s best shows

Cliff Notes – Disney Plus adds ‘masterpiece’ compared to one of Netflix’s best shows

• Historical Context: "Rematch" explores the 1997 chess match between Garry Kasparov and an IBM supercomputer, reflecting on the early impact of AI in society.
• Cultural Relevance: The series arrives at a time when interest in chess has surged, partly due to the success of "The Queen’s Gambit" and the pandemic’s influence on online chess play.
• Critical Acclaim: Viewers have praised the show as a ‘masterpiece’, highlighting its engaging portrayal of chess history and AI development, making it accessible to both enthusiasts and newcomers.

Disney Plus adds ‘masterpiece’ compared to one of Netflix’s best shows

The show focuses on the chess match between Garry Kasparov and a supercomputer (Picture: Disney Plus)

Disney Plus has added a new show to its catalogue that will be catnip for fans of Netflix’s smash hit The Queen’s Gambit.

Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, the chess drama was one of Netflix’s biggest hits of 2020, when streaming numbers soared during the global coronavirus lockdowns.

Now, the six-part series Rematch similarly dives into the cat-and-mouse world of professional chess.

The 1997-set psychological thriller follows the historic chess match between Garry Kasparov, played by Christian Cooke, and an IBM supercomputer. The true story tale of this human versus machine battle feels incredibly timely amid ongoing discussions about how artificial intelligence is changing our lives.

The show is set at the World Chess Championship, during a time when these technological advances first started to be felt, with the arrival of the internet and the advent of platforms like Google and Facebook. 

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Rather than being inspired by the zeitgeisty popularity of chess with The Queen’s Gambit, the creators of Rematch had been kicking the idea around years before and saw that the Netflix hit offered an opportunity to get it made.

The show is set at the World Chess Championship (Picture: Disney Plus)

The show feels timely amid current discussions about the use of AI (Picture: Disney Plus)

Rematch co-writer Yan England told Deadline: ‘Suddenly, people from around the world were playing chess. We knew it would be a while before our show would come out, as we couldn’t shoot in the pandemic, so now the world had been reintroduced to chess and we didn’t have to explain what it was.’

The show first aired on Arte in Europe and has now arrived on Disney Plus for viewers in the UK, several of whom are already raving about the drama.

Sharing their reviews on IMDb, one fan praised the show as a ‘masterpiece’. @J_p_bedard wrote: ‘This is [a] high class series. This is where artificial intelligence all started and look where we are at today. Technology overtaking jobs, space, duties, internet and most of our daily chores. 

All six episodes are now available to stream on Disney Plus (Picture: Disney Plus)

‘Worth a 9/10 and up for those who like or don’t like chess you will appreciate it. I watched the 6 in a row!!!’

@Ms-jr similarly raved about the show, writing: ‘Rematch brings history to life by presenting pivotal moments in chess and AI development without relying on excessive drama.

The characters are carefully crafted, making the series accessible even to viewers unfamiliar with chess history, while also providing a treasure trove of details for enthusiasts.’

Rematch is available to stream on Disney Plus.