Next Goal Wins is a sports dramedy based on a true story about disgraced coach Thomas Rongen(Michael Fassbender) leading the national American Samoa soccer team, the worst internationally.
Fassbender is miscast, he doesn't have much facility with the comedy or the heart and seems out of his depth, floundering. A sharp counterpoint to his pitch perfect turn in The Killer. The supporting cast are all great particularly Oscar Kightley as Tavita and Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua but the overall tone is confused(exacerbated by Fassbender). The movie can't quite decide if it wants to be a parody or a full blown feel-good. As a result the comedy and the heart is all very casual, very lackluster, rote.
Visually serviceable but lacking the typical panache of co-writer/director Taika Waititi. Its not terrible just underwhelming. The big highlight, the reason to watch, is the wonderful Samoan actors and the spotlight on American Samoa, its singular and cool and fun, but everything else for the most part- the narrative, the soccer, the emotional beats- seem like an afterthought.
Waititi returns to his indie roots but may have lost a step after his journey into big budget Hollywood.
Currently in theaters, coming soon to VOD.
Stream It.
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