Last night was the 10th in the series of Cineworld Secret Screenings and the film shown was Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, which I have to say was the film I had an idea it could be.
Directed by Academy Award winner Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), NEXT GOAL WINS is a heartwarming underdog comedy. The film follows the American Samoa soccer team, who became infamous for their devastating 31-0 loss in the 2001 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. With the next qualifiers approaching, the team hires a maverick coach, Thomas Rongen (played by Michael Fassbender), who is down on his luck, in the hope that he can turn the world’s worst soccer team around.
I have to say that I’m not usually a fan of sports-based films, but I had seen the trailer for this one a couple of times and it gave me those Cool Runnings vibes, so I was interested to see Taika Waititi‘s take on the story of the worlds worst football team.
The film took me back to the earlier work from Waititi, forget the lavish and over-the-top special effects of Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, this film is a real down-to-other production with a great cast that is packed with plenty of laughs and moments that have you cheering the American Somaoa team on.
As you may have guessed Next Goal Wins is based on a true story with some slight embellishments, but this film certainly has plenty going on that kept me entertained from start to finish. There are some great comedic moments from not only Waititi as the American Samoan Priest but also from Michael Fassbender as Thomas Rongen who is the coach that is brought in to train the team.
Look out for some great moments with Rhys Darby early on in the film with a scene that tickled my funny bone during a meeting with the board and Rongen. But Next Goal Wins isn’t all about just the football it also has a lovely story of how the team go from zero to just above zero and the challenges they face not only with the game but also with working alongside each other and with Rongen to get at least one goal in a game.
The film pulls in the drama side of the story very well, there is an uncomfortable scene where Rongen deadnames Jaiyah (played by Kaimana), a player who is transitioning and this adds to the tension between them for a while.
Next Goal Wins is a film that I’m glad I got to see as part of the Cineworld Secret Screenings, being a sports-based film it’s not one I would have rushed to see, but I’m glad I got to watch it last night, it was a pleasant surprise that gave me a great night out with plenty of laughs from start to finish.
Next Goal Wins is in UK Cinemas on the 29th of December 2023.
Images Searchlight Pictures
A heart warming and funny drama
Movie title: Next Goal Wins (2023)
Movie description: The story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0.
Date published: December 5, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 44m
Director(s): Taika Waititi
Actor(s): Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Summary
I’m not usually one for sports-based films, but I thoroughly enjoyed Next Goal Wins from start to finish.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
