Next Goal Wins

by Philip Price

Photo: Searchlight Pictures

Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kaimana & Oscar Kightley
Rated: PG-13 (language & crude material)
Runtime: 1 hour & 44 minutes

There's a running joke in director Taika Waititi's latest, “Next Goal Wins,” where Michael Fassbender's Thomas Rongen utilizes famous movie speeches - whether it be from “Taken” or “Any Given Sunday” - and tries to apply them to his own life as a professional soccer coach. Sometimes it works and other times he gets called out on it. Unironically (which is ironic considering Waititi's tone), this is pretty much how “Next Goal Wins” works as well. Lifting from any number of inspirational sports movies, “Next Goal Wins” is an uplifting true story that hits all the expected beats and, as it is a Waititi production, comments on how aware it is of such.
​
While I have understood Waititi's quirky appeal in the past and his penchant for irreverence has worked for me more than it hasn't the writer/director/actor has certainly made the most of his time in the spotlight and seemingly burned a little too bright, too quickly. Needless to say, a little Waititi goes a long way. I was hopeful he wouldn't insert himself too much into this latest endeavor (he doesn't), but rather that he would focus on putting his specific filmmaking stamp on this familiar story (he doesn't). “Next Goal Wins” is an effortlessly charming experience largely due to the focus it puts on the American Samoa people and culture exemplified through their contrast with the new, European soccer coach that has come to lead their failing program - the aforementioned Rongen. When the film rests on the shoulders of their exceptional positivity and optimism it is as pleasant as the people on screen.

Unfortunately, Waititi and co-writer Iain Morris are beholden to making Rongen not necessarily the hero of the film, but more its primary focus. There is nothing explicitly wrong with this (like I said, Waititi acknowledges the whole white savior aspect) as Rongen (at least initially) couldn't care less about being admired by or helping the American Samoa people. Rongen is serving no cause by taking on this role other than keeping his mind off the troubles of his personal life while remaining attached to the one thing he believes still brings him joy even if it has become completely joyless. As Rongen, Fassbender serves this redemption arc well enough, but as the film tracks his story using the American Samoan team only as a supporting ensemble, we don't get to know this cast of characters as well as we should or, frankly, as well as we'd like to.

One notable aspect that does distinguish “Next Goal Wins” from other sports movies of the same ilk is that it features the first out transgender woman to compete in a World Cup qualifier. Jaiyah Saelua (who is played by Kaimana who is non-binary) is the player who is afforded the most character development both emphasizing the importance of inclusion and acceptance while also showing the reality of the situation and the many questions and quibbles that surround it. As this is Kaimana's first acting gig there are some shortcomings in the performance, but how the film deals with and the ideas that come out of what it refers to as fa'afafine (a third gender that is widely accepted in Samoan culture) are reason enough for this charming sports comedy (that is a remake of a 2014 documentary of the same name) to exist in the first place.

A harmless and well-intentioned underdog story, “Next Goal Wins” will seemingly find an audience eventually and have a moment as it hits the sports movie beats with enough gumption, sincerity and of course - comedy, to leave the average moviegoer (or casual streamer) who has no idea who Taika Waititi is and doesn't care about his online reputation more than happy they spent an hour and a half with this little known, low stakes sports story while also learning something about the state of happiness.