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Known as the world's worst soccer team, American Samoa infamously lost a game against the Australian Socceroos in 2001 with a humiliating score of 31-0. In 2011, with only four weeks until the World Cup qualifying games begin, the team decide it is time to bring in a new coach to whip them into shape. After contacting the American Football Federation, they send a coach in the form of former Dutch-American player Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), who resents the job offer but only accepts to avoid unemployment. Thomas tries to integrate into the quirky, profoundly religious country but finds the coaching position frustrating and unrewarding, with his hard work seemingly adding up to nothing. Resisting the urge to quit, Thomas continues his seemingly impossible task of training the untested athletes, who hope to make history by scoring a single goal.
The issues with Next Goal Wins begin with Waititi, who serves as the film's narrator in a goofy, over-the-top outfit, and espousing a quirky voice. The director placing himself in this role reeks of egotism, and the narration itself is entirely redundant, unnecessarily overexplaining parts of the story. Furthermore, Waititi's frivolous sense of humour is hit-and-miss, clashing with the story's emotional centre. Although various jokes do land, it often feels like the director is constantly on the hunt for another forced laugh instead of focusing on engaging storytelling. Furthermore, due to the requirements of the genre, Waititi and Morris change the story by forcing unnecessary conflict. See, in real life, Thomas volunteered to coach American Samoa and embraced the opportunity, but this dramatisation shows him being coerced into taking the job and consistently wanting to quit. It all leads to a big, important climactic moment, but the real story is far more emotionally honest and does not need additional conflict. The documentary is more heartwarming because the empathetic Thomas believed in the team and wanted to see them succeed.
Signs of editorial fiddling are present throughout Next Goal Wins. It feels as if aspects of Thomas's personal life were removed in post-production - particularly glaring is the fact that his ex-wife, Gail (Elisabeth Moss), only receives a glorified cameo and should play a more considerable part in the story. Also disappointing is the treatment of transgender player Jaiyah (Kaimana), who became the first transgender player to compete in a World Cup qualifier. Jaiyah's experience could support an entire movie of its own, and she should be the protagonist. Instead, even though she feels significant in the first half through fictionalised tension with Thomas, she ends up underused, with the second half concentrating more on Thomas's personal experiences.
Next Goal Wins is held back by ample flaws and miscalculations, but the movie nevertheless manages to work on its own terms as a quirky underdog sports tale. Performances are uniformly spirited, with Fassbender approaching the material with a straight face and doing his best to inject dramatic heft into the proceedings. Will Arnett, who was added during reshoots to replace Armie Hammer, also has his moments, while Kiwi actor Rhys Darby scores a few laughs. The American Samoa characters are fantastic, with Oscar Kightley a particular standout as the optimistic football federation chief, Tavota. The ensemble cast's ample charm keeps the picture watchable, and there are numerous comedic moments that truly work. Also worth mentioning are Angus Sampson and Luke Hemsworth, who have uproarious cameos as a pair of Australian larrikins. The technical presentation is lovely, with cinematographer Lachlan Milne gorgeously capturing the breathtaking scenery and locales of Hawaii, which stands in for American Samoa. There are also some terrific song choices, including Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 as the team begins training (though Sia's Chandelier is anachronistic, given it was released three years after the story's events took place), and the soccer sequences are competently staged and engaging.
No surprises here: the 2014 documentary of the same name is far superior, and it is disappointing that this film adaptation sacrifices the true story's rawness and honesty for something so glaringly conventional. Nevertheless, Next Goal Wins has its merits and is worth watching. As clichéd as it is, the emotional beats remain touching, and there's a nice message about happiness and spirituality that should leave you with a smile on your face. Those unfamiliar with the documentary and the real story will probably get the most mileage from this adaptation, as those who have seen the documentary will immediately recognise the mostly egregious changes.
6.6/10
