Warning: spoilers ahead for Tetris.
Tetris is one of the biggest games ever, and the Tetris movie depicts the unbelievable true story of how the iconic game reached the world outside the USSR. The AppleTV+ movie follows Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers, who attempts to gain the rights to publish the famous game, but soon learns that it belongs to the state of the Soviet Union. Attaining the rights to Tetris proves to be way more difficult than Henk thought it would be, and leads to the KGB spying on him, blackmail attempts, and a brush with death in an over-the-top car chase through Moscow.
If the Tetris movie feels unbelievable, that is largely because much of the story didn't transpire in real life, and is full of globetrotting and espionage that never actually happened when Rogers attempted to attain the rights in 1989. However, the Taron Egerton movie makes for one of the most unique tech biopics of recent memory, like an action-packed The Social Network. While the Tetris movie has a definitive ending, plenty gets lost in translation, literally, and a lot of its contract negotiations quickly get confusing. Between KGB officers getting arrested, Alexey finally escaping the Soviet Union, and Henk making $5 million, there is a lot to unpack in Tetris' ending.
What Happens In Tetris' Ending?
After already being rejected by Elorg once, Henk returns to Moscow despite being threatened and blackmailed. This time, however, he has the help and backing of Howard Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa, two Nintendo employees who developed the Game Boy. Government official Nikolai Belikov helps Henk attain the rights to Tetris by revealing that Robert and Kevin Maxwell never provided the $1 million they promised, which gives Henk and Nintendo the upper hand. As a result, Henk finally gets the rights to the game and flees to the airport with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, Howard, and Minoru.
In a panic, disloyal KGB agent Valentin Trifonov reveals his secret deal with the Maxwells in front of Sasha, a loyal KGB agent. Robert Maxwell agreed to give Valentin 50% of the Tetris profits if he could stop Henk and still get Maxwell the rights. Valentin chases Henk through Moscow and all the way to the airport, but Henk makes it onto the plane in time, and Sasha has Valentin arrested. After the unbelievably successful release of Nintendo's Game Boy, Henk makes $5 million and buys Alexey a ticket to San Francisco, where they reunite two years after saying their goodbyes at Moscow airport.
Why Did Valentin Get Arrested By The KGB?
As the USSR was a communist country, any intellectual property of its citizens was owned by the state, and residents were not allowed to profit off their own ideas. The KGB was the Soviet Union's security agency, and Valentin is a high-ranking officer in that organization. The KGB ensures citizens and government officials make decisions based on what is best for the state, and selling the rights to Tetris, a hugely popular video game, obviously would not be in the state's best interest.
Valentin instead struck a deal with the Maxwells that would lead to him becoming rich beyond his wildest dreams if the British newspaper tycoons were given the rights to the game. Valentin took advantage of his resources and power to try and make this happen. Sasha had already proved how loyal she was to the KGB and the state by following orders, including ones made by Valentin, but by the Tetris movie ending, she no longer knows what his real intentions are. After finding out Valentin's plan, instead of turning a blind eye, Sasha acts exactly as her position demands and arrests the traitor.
What Made Nikolai Belikov Decide To Help Henk Rogers?
Throughout the whole Tetris movie, Nikolai is a stoic, not-to-be-messed-with expert negotiator trying to teach the Americans and the British a lesson whilst making the most money for his state. In the Tetris ending, however, the Elorg employee has a change of heart. He knows that giving the Tetris rights to the Maxwells is not right and that Henk has the best intentions. Nikolai essentially does the right thing for the same reason that Valentin does the wrong thing. Nikolai recognizes that the Soviet Union is changing, and that citizens are becoming increasingly critical of communism. However, whereas Valentin acts for his own personal gain, Nikolai's actions are totally selfless.
How Did Henk Rogers Make $5 Million?
After successfully getting back to Japan, Henk surprises his wife with a check for $5 million, which comes as a huge relief given that he put his house and, essentially, his whole life on the line with the bank. The Tetris movie ending then quickly glosses over how he made that much money. Henk ultimately made $5 million after convincing Nintendo to package Tetris with the Game Boy, and he was able to sign off on the deal after securing the rights with Nikolai in Moscow. That was just the beginning of how prosperous Henk would become with Tetris, as the real-life Rogers is almost certainly worth considerably more today.
Why Did Henk Buy Alexey A Flight To San Francisco?
Though Alexey acted closed off when he and Henk first met, that attitude was simply a product of his Soviet Union upbringing, and the two finally start bonding over the development of video games. Their friendship is one of the best things about the Tetris movie story, and it veers close to feel-good-movie territory. After Henk left for Tokyo, the USSR's laws ultimately kept Alexey from being able to make any money from Tetris until 1995, but there was a simple solution to that. Alexey could still make money outside of his own country, and that is why Henk sends him a flight ticket to San Francisco where they reunite.
How Much Of Tetris' Ending Is True?
Despite being based on a true story, almost none of the Tetris movie ending is true. The only thing that remains unchanged is that Henk is able to attain the rights to the video game. There was no car chase, no KGB officers getting arrested, and while Henk did help Alexey leave the USSR and they did reunite, this was not in San Francisco. The two developers reunited in Seattle (via CNN) where they founded The Tetris Group together. Though Henk did illegally travel to the USSR with a tourist visa and was interrogated by government officials, that is as theatrical as the real-world battle for the rights to Tetris became.
The Real Meaning Of Tetris' Ending
While most stances on the subject of communism and capitalism are clear, Tetris walks the tightrope of criticizing both to an extent. Ultimately, the Tetris movie is about doing the right thing, and how doing the right thing might occasionally be more important than a political agenda. The Tetris movie's core theme, however, is greed and how it can be a self-destructive trait. The Maxwells' greed is off the charts, but they end up filing for bankruptcy, whereas Henk simply wants to pay off his debts and give Alexey the credit and wealth he deserves, and he ends up becoming a millionaire.
That is why Valentin is arguably the most interesting Tetris character, as he represents the perfect cross-section of these two themes. Though Valentin is one of the bad guys, it is easy to understand his motivations, as the KGB agent is simply looking out for himself in a world he can see crumbling. Valentin ignores his own extreme political agendas, but it is his greed that leads to his downfall and eventual arrest. In Tetris, the greedier the character is, the harder they fall.
Sources: CNN