Next Goal Wins (2023)
6.467 /10
152 Reviews
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Dutch coach Thomas Rongen attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Thomas Rongen
... Tavita
... Jaiyah Saelua
... Ace
... Ruth
User reviews
A story with all the proper beats lives here, even if the film rambles and tampers off into ridiculousness when it has no reason to. But even with its flaws and redundant humor fatigue, _Next Goal Wins_ stands out as Taika Waititi’s most coherent film since Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
**Full review:** https://bit.ly/dontpassgoal
Director:
Release Date:
2023-11-16
Run Time:
104 min
MMPA Rating:
PG-13
Reviews of
Next Goal Wins
A story with all the proper beats lives here, even if the film rambles and tampers off into ridiculousness when it has no reason to. But even with its flaws and redundant humor fatigue, _Next Goal Wins_ stands out as Taika Waititi’s most coherent film since Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
**Full review:** https://bit.ly/dontpassgoal
If you've seen "12 Mighty Orphans" (2021) or "The Shiny Shrimps" (2019) then you'll know what to expect as Taika Waititi takes the same template and applies it to football. Here it's the adequate Michael Fassbender who gets to portray the down on his luck coach (Thomas Rongen) in this factually based story. He's not much good at his job and is temperamentally a bit unreliable, so is dispatched to coach what is officially the world's worst team. American Samoa, still smarting from a 31-0 thumping at the hands of the ever so slightly more populated Australia, has a team whose viability is under scrutiny by the parent American Federation. Can Rongen turn things around? His team are the traditionally disparate group of well-meaning, distinctly amateur, enthusiasts. Unused to any concept of team playing, co-ordination and/or training - and their new boss's predilection for a bottle or two doesn't suggest change is going to come anytime soon. Local federation boss Tavita (Oscar Kightley) manages to inspire though - and what happens now is all rather predictable, but engagingly portrayed, as the team start to realise that defeat each time is not as inevitable as they might expect. It does present us with quite an interesting look at Polynesian attitudes - ones of compassion, fairness and tolerance. Winning is important, but it's not the be all and end all; and the eventual make up of their team - and it's constituent parts - is testament to a society that has way more right than it has wrong in the way it thinks and behaves. There's loads of humour - most of which comes from an on-form Kightley, but I found that a bit weak and just a little too stereotypical (albeit from their perspective rather than the American's). The best bits are probably in the trailers, but it's still just about worth a watch - but the television will be fine.
The last chunk of the film saves it somewhat, prior to that 'Next Goal Wins' is quite poor.
I like Taika Waititi and usually dig his humour a lot, but here his comedy put into the flick just isn't all that amusing annoyingly. I'm a big football fan so knew of the real life story that this is based upon, though even as such it kinda sits in the middle of being for sports fans and being for the average moviegoer... without really committing to either, at least that's how it felt to me; it's not comedic enough or sporty enough.
I found everything until the scene with a smiley face on the whiteboard to be real lame, like nothing I was watching was entertaining me... kinda cringey, if anything. A lot of the humour up to that moment felt forced, in fact the only parts that got a chuckle out of me were the white guy jokes. Michael Fassbender isn't any good up to that point, either.
Thankfully, the conclusion is fairly feel-good and does wrap things up well - to the point it gets an extra notch up with my rating. As noted I found Fassbender average, at best... Liam Neeson might've been a better cast, especially given they allude to a past role of the Northern Irishman's at one moment. Away from the lead, other cast members do do decent - namely Oscar Kightley, Kaimana and David Fane.
It feels a touch like the filmmakers were aiming to retread the path that opened via 'Ted Lasso'. I'm not into that television show, though safe to say it does a better job... if the similarity is a fair one on my part. 'Bend It Like Beckham' is a shout also, but that comparison is probably me reaching in fairness.
Cast & Crew of
Next Goal Wins
Cast
... Thomas Rongen
... Tavita
... Jaiyah Saelua
... Ace
... Ruth
... Daru
... American Samoan Priest
... Alex Magnussen
... Gail
... Nicky Salapu
... Convenient Store Cashier
... Rambo
... Jonah
... Pisa
... Smiley
... Samson
... 'Who's on the Plane' Reporter
... Rhys Marlin
... Keith
... Angus Bendleton
... Nicole (voice)
... Chief Sila
... Tongan Player #1
... Tongan Player #2
... Game Referee
... Rambo's Mom
... Tongan Coach
... American Samoan Woman #1
... American Samoan Woman #2
... Armani
... Store Local
... Tongan Player #3
... Tall David
... Commentator
... Russell Satele
Crew
... Executive Producer
... Casting
... First Assistant Director
... Producer
... Original Music Composer
... Screenplay
... Director
... Producer
... First Assistant Sound Editor
... Leadman
... Screenplay
... Video Assist Operator
... Editor
... Producer
... Production Supervisor
... Executive Producer
... Still Photographer
... Sound Mixer
... Supervising Art Director
... Additional Photography
... Visual Effects Producer
... Director of Photography
... Producer
... Producer
... Additional Photography
... Sound Effects Editor
... Dialogue Editor
... Casting Director
... ADR Supervisor
... Editor
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Editor
... Production Design
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Makeup Department Head
... Mix Technician
... Property Master
... Propmaker
... Casting
... Dialogue Editor
... Editor
... Foley Mixer
... First Assistant "C" Camera
... First Assistant Editor
... Steadicam Operator
... Associate Producer
... Hair Department Head
... Digital Compositor
... Set Decoration
... Costume Design
... ADR Mixer
... Key Grip
... Art Direction
... Foley Artist
... Key Grip
... Sound Re-Recording Mixer
... VFX Editor
... Executive Producer
... Set Dresser
... Art Department Coordinator
... Gaffer
... First Assistant Camera
... Colorist
... Additional Photography
... First Assistant "B" Camera
... Second Second Assistant Director
... Additional Second Assistant Director
... Consulting Producer
... Set Decoration
... Makeup Artist
... Key Hair Stylist
... Additional Photography
... Extras Casting
... Grip
... Assistant Editor
... Second Assistant Camera
... Set Designer
... Graphic Designer
... Special Effects Manager
... Second Assistant "B" Camera
... Key Makeup Artist
... Set Decoration
... Wigmaker
... Assistant Makeup Artist
... Casting Assistant
... Construction Coordinator
... Assistant Editor
... Sound Effects Editor
... Additional Second Assistant Director
... Set Dresser
... Set Decoration Buyer
... Propmaker
... Boom Operator
... ADR Recordist
... Digital Imaging Technician
... Best Boy Grip
... Electrician
... Electrician
... Executive Assistant
Videos & Photos of
Next Goal Wins
Videos (2)
Photos 14
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