Underdog sports movies are a genre of their own and are often heavy on the chicken-soup-for-the-soul style inspirationalism. What makes Next Goal Wins so much fun is how it takes most of the positives of the genre but subverts many of the cliches often surprising us. But over all the film works cause it just so damn entertaining.
Waititi introduces the film to us himself, playing an overly silly pastor who is telling us a story, giving himself permission to take... liberties... with the story. He also sets the tone that we don't have to take what we will see too seriously. And that perhaps is something inherent in the story itself. Next Goal Wins is constantly reminding us not to view things the way a western audience traditionally would and instead enjoy the ride wherever it takes us for what it is, a value the culture of the people the story is about promotes.
The script is truly quite funny but the best part is it doesn't fall into a lot of the traps one would expect. There is no romance subplot laid into the narrative. There is a nuanced and beautifully handled trans story embedded within it (inspired by the real life events). And the film works in a pathos along with the jokes that doesn't feel forced or heavy handed. Next Goal Wins remains light but doesn't do so by skimping on the emotion. It just chooses to laugh even when things are tougher.
Next Goal Wins isn't a story about a climb to so-called "greatness" but instead a story about finding happiness. And damn if it doesn't make you smile.
Next Goal Wins
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Knightly, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Moss, Rhys Darby, Luke Hemsworth, Kaitlyn Dever
Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Iain Morris, Taika Waititi
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