From the first trailer of Next Goal Wins, I thought “This reminds me of Cool Runnings,” a movie I watched frequently as a child of the 90s. The comparison was inevitable and indeed, Next Goal Wins, directed by Taika Waititi and co-written by Waititi and Iain Morris, has a very similar vibe to the classic underdog sports story. This film boils down to the typical elements of a Waititi comedy: a blend of pop culture humor, weird bits, and moments that creep up on you to make you cry.
Starring Michael Fassbender as Thomas Rongen, a football (as in soccer) coach who has been forced to coach the losing team from American Samoa, Next Goal Wins has a simple premise: Make the American Samoa team into a group of athletes that can score one goal. It features characters like Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu), who tried his best to keep goals from coming in when American Samoa lost 31-0 to Australia in 2001, and Jaiyah (Kaimana), a faʻafafine player on the team whom Thomas does not understand before connecting with on a deeper level.
The film is far from perfect, especially in its very brief exploration of Jaiyah’s journey with hormones and her gender dysphoria as a trans woman playing on the men’s soccer team. Next Goal Wins does highlight faʻafafine, what is often referred to as the third gender in Samoa, American Samoa, and Samoan diaspora, and refers to non-binary individuals. There are some questionable choices, like having Thomas deadname Jaiyah and then, possibly because of the film’s short runtime, rushing through the journey to reconciliation, making that whole storyline feel forced and shoehorned in. Kaimana, and the character of Jaiyah, is a standout in this movie and deserves more.
Waititi’s locker room speeches are emotional, should have seen that coming
While the movie itself is exactly what I’d expect from a sports movie, there was one thing I should have seen coming that still took me by surprise: Waititi and Morris’ ability to pack a punch with their locker room speech.
This is a classic trope in sports movies and for good reason. When it lands, a locker room speech has the ability to play mercilessly with our heartstrings and remind us why we keep coming back to this genre time and time again.
For its faults, Next Goal Wins is a solid entry in the genre of heartwarming sports comedies inspired by true events. It has that Waititi charm that I love so dearly while still trying to educate the audience about the American Samoa customs and beliefs. It’s entertaining, fun, and has plenty of those Waititi jokes and cameos we’ve come to adore.
(featured image: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Searchlight Pictures)
