NEXT GOAL WINS

Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kaimana, Oscar Kightley, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett

Writer/director Taika Waititi’s filmography ranges from two Thor movies to the vampire spoof What We Do in the Shadows to winning an Oscar for JoJo Rabbit. Every film has his distinct stamp on it, and you’ll notice the same style with new sports film Next Goal Wins. It takes a page out of the sports biopic playbook and centers on the American Samoa soccer team. They lost the 2001 FIFA match 31-0 against Australia. Things only got worse for the American Samoa team who continued to lose game after game after game in the following years. It would be another ten years, but things started looking better for the team when a new coach was hired. Michael Fassbender stars as Thomas Rongen who is fired from his current coaching position in the United States only to be given the coaching job for American Samoa as a consolation prize. He’s the grizzled and gruff alcoholic type who doesn’t settle into his new life easily. He’s in for a rude awakening by the culture, lifestyle, and by a transgender player named Jaiyah who gets him to rethink what it means to accept everyone for who they are. Now playing in theaters

Here’s my review