Review: Next Goal Wins

Taika Waititi’s latest comedic feature, Next Goal Wins (2023), is a return to the popular director’s earlier form of filmmaking, featuring his signature brand of easy-watching, feel-good narrative.

Next Goal Wins tells a slightly embellished version of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, in which newly (and begrudgingly) appointed coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) attempts to lead the American Samoan football team to glory, or at least to make one goal. Having been dubbed by many as the ‘world’s worst football team’ after suffering 31-0 against Australia in the 2001 qualifiers, Rongen’s goal seems in vain. However, fuelled with sheer perseverance and willpower, the American Samoan team face the impossible as they look to gain World Cup atonement.

For a film that’s narrative is bursting with heart and enthusiasm, elements of its dialogue feel like a broken record

Next Goal Wins filmed a large portion of its scenes in Honolulu, Hawaii, providing breath-taking backdrops throughout its hour and 44-minute runtime. This choice of filming location provides a constant myriad of vibrant colours, mirroring the positive and hopeful thematic focus of the film.

The humour of Next Goal Wins is indeed light-hearted, however, at times feels a little flat in its reliance on Waititi’s signature quirky dialogue. It feels as though the screenplay relies too heavily on a brand of humour that has been tried and tested again and again in Waititi’s projects, yet this time, it feels quite empty. For a film that’s narrative is bursting with heart and enthusiasm, elements of its dialogue feel like a broken record.

Michael Fassbender, as is to be expected, is a strong lead. The character of Rongen is presented as surprisingly complex for such an easy-going flick, presenting him as an exteriorly harsh and cynical taskmaster. Yet, internally, he is insecure in his failures and fuelled by his attempts not to acknowledge his grief over the loss of his daughter.

The next standout is newcomer Kaimana, who plays Jaiyah Saelua, a faʻafafine; this is a third gender that exists in Polynesian societies. Jaiyah broke boundaries in the game as the first openly non-binary and trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match. A story like Jaiyah’s feels incredibly important considering today’s climate surrounding transgender and non-binary sportspeople, hence, it was a shame that the importance of her story seemed overshadowed by Rongen’s road to redemption.

Next Goal Wins [can] be enjoyed by audiences who could not give a monkeys about the beautiful game

Additionally, Jaiyah felt like a window into Polynesian culture that the film struggled to explore in any depth, favouring Rongen’s personal strife over a focus on the members of the team themselves. Rongen only agrees to help the squad redeem his failures, and although he eventually realises the error in his selfish motives, the film seems not to. We never manage to see the same level of depth and personal impetus in most of the team members allowed in Rongen, which feels like quite a shame for a group with such a fascinating professional trajectory.

Although Next Goal Wins may focus too much on Rongen’s impact, the film undoubtedly succeeds in pushing past being just a sports movie. Of course, you can’t tell the story of a football team without a fair amount of football. It is the film’s strong thematic undertones, however, that allow Next Goal Wins to be enjoyed by audiences who could not give a monkeys about the beautiful game. Next Goal Wins is a story of empathy and determination in the face of those who see football as just football, and sport as just sport; the film’s primary focus is on the ‘team’ aspect of team sports themselves, emphasising the emotional and distinctly human elements of succeeding as a group in the face of doubt.

Verdict:

The source material of Next Goal Wins had every opportunity to become a Waititi classic, however, its shortfalls seem to have capped it at a fairly standard entry in such a mammoth year for cinema. Unfortunately, it feels very possible that Next Goal Wins might become a bit of a forgotten gem: entirely enjoyable yet overshadowed amongst the heavy-hitters of 2023.