In 2014, the documentary Next Goal Wins, directed by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, was released to universal acclaim. The film told the story of the American Samoa soccer team’s struggle to qualify for the World Cup. In 2019, Fox Searchlight Pictures announced that Taika Waititi would helm a feature film adaptation of the documentary. Among the cast included Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, numerous New Zealand-born Samoan actors making their debut, and Armie Hammer. The movie was shot in Honolulu from November 2019 to January 2020 with a $14 million budget. However, after allegations of sexual abuse surrounding Hammer surfaced in 2021, reshoots were done with Will Arnett replacing him. Due to prior commitments on Thor: Love and Thunder, Waititi’s sports movie wouldn’t be released until 2023. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Next Goal Wins hit theaters in November.
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Synopsis
Since losing to Australia in 2001 31-0, the American Samoa national football team is considered the worst in history. The American Samoa Football Federation head, Tavita (Oscar Kightley), seeks a new coach to end their losing streak. Enter Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), a Dutch-American football coach struggling with alcoholism and anger issues who’s recently been fired. Executive Alex Magnussen (Will Arnett) and Rongen’s ex-wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) send him to American Samoa to fix his life. He becomes the football team’s new coach, which he’s not happy with, given his situation and the team’s reputation. However, as he gets to know the team better, especially transgender player Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana), Rongen starts to change. He gets the team back on track and prepares them to compete in the 2014 World Cup. Will they end their decade-long losing streak or continue being a laughingstock in the football community?
Review
Taika Waititi has become a director that I have mixed feelings about, given his track record. While he’s made some great stuff like Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Love and Thunder was a huge disappointment. Next Goal Wins falls somewhere in the middle: not as good as his earlier work, but better than his later stuff. This movie is like any other inspirational sports movie about an underdog team, from Cool Runnings to The Mighty Ducks. The only difference is that this film flat-out tells the audience several elements are embellished to suit the narrative better. This extends to the numerous pop culture references made throughout, including The Matrix, The Karate Kid, and Any Given Sunday. It feels like a much deeper story could’ve been explored, but much of it is sidestepped for entertainment’s sake. Again, it’s not all terrible, but there’s nothing new either.
Michael Fassbender might’ve been an odd choice for Thomas Rongen, but he does a decent job as the struggling coach. His accent tends to slip occasionally, and he comes off so hateful to the players that it’s hard to sympathize. He follows the sports movie trope of the angry, bitter coach who learns to be a better person. Unfortunately, he’s given the most screen time/backstory at the expense of the American Samoa team, who get little development. The one exception is Jaiyah Saelua, played excellently by relative newcomer Kaimana, who’s given more character development. Seeing her relationship with the rest of the team is heartwarming, as they accept her for who she is. Honestly, I would’ve much rather seen her as the lead than the same tired story we were given. It comes off as wasted potential, but what we get does its job well enough.
From a filmmaking perspective, Waititi does an excellent job of capturing the beauty of the Hawaiian landscape. The movie has bright colors, rich sunrises/sunsets, and plenty of tropical foliage that enhances the visuals. Otherwise, most of the film is shot statically and plainly without much in the way of dynamic camera angles. Some of the jokes land, including a bit involving Rogen going through the Five Stages of Grief. The rest mainly consists of poking fun at the Islanders, which seems a bit disingenuous. Parts of the film drag at roughly an hour and forty-four minutes, but it mostly breezes by. Fans of inspirational sports movies will enjoy this, but I can’t help feeling like this could’ve been so much more. Overall, Next Goal Wins is a decent piece of escapism, but it won’t leave much lasting impact afterward.
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