Underdog sports movies are usually infallibly charming, but Taika Waititi's uninspired comedy Next Goal Wins manages to fail in almost every aspect of the beloved genre.
Based on a true story, first shown in the 2014 documentary of the same name, the movie centres on the American Samoa football team, officially the worst team of the world after their painful 31-0 loss against Australia in 2001.
A decade later, with the World Cup Qualifiers around the corner, they decide to hire the grumpy Dutch-American coach Thomas Rongen (played by Michael Fassbender) hoping he can get the squad into shape.
It turns out he is the one in need of mending.
The real story at the heart of Next Goal Wins is beautiful, and yet Waititi's narrative decisions drive the movie to lose a big part of its natural magic. All the ingredients for a great sports-themed feelgood movie were there, and yet they don't really work.
Wisely, the story tries to keep away from the white-saviour trope: some characters self-consciously joke about it in one scene and Fassbender's character is seen as ridiculous under the locals' incredulous gaze.
What to Read Next
Yet every single Samoan character ends up serving the coach's story.
In fact, for most of them, that seems to be their only purpose. The many members of the football team are almost a blur, as the script is unable to highlight their personalities, abilities or personal stories. We don't need a biography of each and every one of them, but they feel painfully unimportant. Even Elisabeth Moss and Will Arnett get better defined roles through their brief appearances.
There's a sense of otherness to the Samoans' portrayal, and almost none of them gets the same layered treatment as the white protagonist.
There is one exception, though that storyline is equally problematic.
Besides Rongen, player Jaiyah Saelua (who is a fa'afafine, a third gender recognised by Polynesian societies, and is played by transgender actor Kaimana), gets the most attention from Waititi's script and rapidly becomes the movie's beating heart.
Unfortunately, the way the movie handles her storyline is awkward at best, offensive at worst.
You can tell there are good intentions behind her portrayal, highlighting the respect her teammates have for her, and showing her gender struggles and the tensions as a woman on a men's football pitch, but it all feels so terribly clumsy.
There was no need to see the coach using her deadname as a disciplinary action, rival teams sending transphobic jokes her way, or Waititi shamefully using a breakdown moment to further develop Rongen's journey into a sensitive man. Even the way the camera sometimes focuses on her body is concerningly objectifying.
As the first openly trans athlete to play in a FIFA World Cup qualifier, her story is the standout of the movie. Seeing Kaimana's brilliant performance, one wonders if she should have been the protagonist all along.
It's truly remarkable how such a great true story can be crushed under the heavy weight of lazy writing and unexciting jokes.
Taika Waititi's brand of silly comedy doesn't stick the landing this time. Perhaps he is better suited as a team member — his best works recently have been in joint efforts like TV series Reservation Dogs, What We Do In the Shadows and Our Flag Means Death, all of them incredibly sweet, well-written shows.
After confirming he's not directing any more Thor movies, and with his latest work becoming his lowest-rated movie as a director, Taika Waititi needs to find a new path.
Next Goal Wins is not it, so just watch the documentary instead — it's available on NOW TV.
Next Goal Wins is out now in UK cinemas.
You Might Like...
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
