Christopher Lambert's stylish 1992 thriller Knight Moves plays out like a slasher movie version of The Queen's Gambit. Christopher Lambert was at the peak of his movie stardom around the early to mid-1990s, thanks to the Highlander sequels and hits like Fortress. There was also his memorable supporting turn as Raiden, the God of Thunder in Mortal Kombat, which still ranks as one of the best video game adaptations.
Christopher Lambert was also married to actress Diane Lane (Justice League) from 1988 to 1994, with the couple starring in Priceless Beauty and Knight Moves together. The latter sees Lambert as Peter Sanderson, a chess prodigy and grandmaster who becomes a prime suspect when a killer starts murdering his ex-lovers. Sanderson also becomes involved with Lane's psychologist Kathy Sheppard, but despite the romance brewing between them, she's never sure of his innocence.
Cark Schenkel's Knight Moves has all the hallmarks of early 1990s thrillers, with lots of red herrings and steamy love scenes. The movie is also quite stylish, including a black and white opening that sees a young Peter play chess with a boy who grows up to become the killer tormenting him. There is some creative camerawork and its slasher tone calls to mind the Giallo movies of Dario Argento. That said, it's relatively tame in terms of bloodshed, with the victims often being found dead instead of killed onscreen. The movie's focus on chess and Peter's past also makes it an odd companion to The Queen's Gambit.
That seven-part Netflix drama starred Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a young chess prodigy who grows up to become one of the world's best players - but suffers from any number of personal problems. Beth and Lambert's Peter from Knight Moves share several similarities, from their chess prodigy background to being so obsessed with winning they often shut out personal connections; in this case, his rivalries with chess players put him in danger. Knight Moves also features some scenes set at chess tournaments, though sadly these games aren't milked for tension like The Queen's Gambit.
Knight Moves also reveals the killer is essentially playing an elaborate game of chess with Peter, using the map of the film's island location as a board. The movie's preoccupation with the game gives it a unique feel, but sadly it's got several flaws holding it back. It's never particularly tense or scary, the red herrings - especially any attempt to frame Peter as a potential killer - are lame it's about ten minutes too long. That said, it's certainly one of the decade's most unique thrillers, and maybe there's an alternate universe where The Queen's Gambit's Beth Harmon and Knight Moves' Peter Sanderson crossed over.