The American Samoa football team was comically bad. So much so, that only a visionary like Taika Waititi could tell their story with his sensitivities. The ultimate crowd-pleaser, Next Goal Wins has a ton of heart and is the kind of film Waititi needed.
Wins and losses happen, that's the beauty of sports. But no one signs up for losing 31-0. That's exactly what happened to the American Samoa team in 2001 when they faced Australia.
Next Goal Wins begins with Waititi's own character, an American-Samoan priest, breaking the fourth wall and introducing us to this horrible football club. The team doesn't get much better in the years that follow. Their players have to work multiple jobs just to keep it afloat.
Similarly, esteemed football coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) is facing an ultimatum. He can either coach the American Samoa team or be fired altogether. Not the greatest of options, but a job is better than no job.
Upon entering American Samoa, Rongen is treated like a celebrity, being greeted off of his flight by the press (and the football club's president, Tavita (Oscar Kightley). He soon discovers that his goal isn't to win per se — no one expects that — but rather, to score a goal. At this point, the American Samoa team had yet to score a single goal. Yes, you read that right.
Filled with young adults and incompetent players, Rongen faces an uphill battle. But he also doesn't have anything to lose at this point in his career and life.
Next Goal Wins review
It's a hilarious story that almost sounds like the Bad News Bears. While it'd be easy to just point and laugh at the disastrous American Samoan team, Waititi always remembers to balance the laughs with heartfelt moments. Waititi's story nails home the idea that you have to marinade in your surroundings to grow (using a somewhat gross fish analogy). On the surface, you would assume Next Goal Wins is just a comedy. It's so much more.
While not as balanced as Jojo Rabbit — which depicted burlesque caricatures of Nazi soldiers — Next Goal Wins does find heart in the midst of its comedic story. The subplot of Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana), the first transgender player to participate in a World Cup game, provides the film with its emotional crux. Next Goal Wins is a tale of acceptance, not only from her coach, but other players, and growing as a leader.
Similarly, Rongen has his own demons to live down. Like Fassbender or not, his performance in Next Goal Wins is the complete juxtaposition of his in The Killer. It's a testament to how well he can switch from a cold-blooded, diabolical assassin to an esteemed soccer coach who thinks he's too good for his surroundings.
Too funny for its own good
With that said, Next Goal Wins runs into a similar problem to Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder. Waititi is a funny dude and a funny writer, but he has recently doubled down on quips in his scripts. It's akin to Wes Anderson's obsession with his film's identifiable tropes, just replace the perfectly symmetrical shots with the sarcastic banter that Waititi loves.
And the script largely works, to be clear. The random pop culture references in the script are another thing. Some work better than others, but quips referencing Taken and The Matrix oftentimes felt out of place whereas the reference to Al Pacino's Any Given Sunday speech, for as on the nose as it is, fit the film perfectly.
The quips never weigh down the film to the extent they did in Thor 4, luckily (that's coming from a Thor 4 defender). To his credit, Waititi does let dramatic and emotional moments simmer, unlike most MCU projects. There's a subplot involving Rongen's daughter (no spoilers here). Once it's revealed why he keeps her phone messages and listens to them regularly, it's a key emotional scene in the film. It lands because Waititi treats it like a dramatic film in these moments.
A-list cameos
Aside from the American Samoan cast, Waititi enlisted the help of A-listers to round out his cast. Elizabeth Moss plays Gail, Rongen's estranged wife. Will Arnett plays Rongen's boss, Alex Magnussen, and does a wonderful job as a snide jerk that you want to see proven wrong. Kaitlyn Dever plays Nicole, Rongen's daughter, and Luke Hemsworth also makes an appearance.
Some are used more than others. While Gail is an important part of Rongen's life, their relationship is never explored. The missing parts are filled in when Moss occasionally graces the screen. The brisk 103-minute runtime means that Next Goal Wins takes off running. In fact, the first scene with Rongen is the one seen in the trailer when he's offered his ultimatum. There's no interest in exploring his past, which works for the tone this film is striving to achieve.
However, I believe there's a two-hour film somewhere in there that further justifies the glorified A-list cameos.
On a similar note, there could have been more focus on various American Samoan players. Rongen and Jaiyah are the primary focuses (and rightfully so), but aside from the owner's son, none of the players get too much attention. At one point, Rongen and Jaiyah go on a recruiting journey. That gives some shine to other players, but I wish the same could be said about those already on the team. Again, the 103-minute runtime is a wonderful thing and is generally utilized well. There are just some underbaked elements under the surface.
Should you watch Next Goal Wins?
Next Goal Wins will make you laugh, cry, and cheer. It's a return to form for Waititi who needed a win after the lukewarm response to Thor: Love and Thunder.
A balanced tale of laughs and real drama, Next Goal Wins succeeds at what it accomplishes. It could go deeper into the background and dynamics of its core characters, but it opts to be a pure crowd-pleaser. And in that regard, Next Goal Wins is a shoot and score.
Grade: A-
Next Goal Wins will be released on November 17.
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