The reviews are in for Next Goal Wins, the new movie from director Taika Waititi. Based on a true story, the movie follows coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) as he attempts to lead the underdog American Samoa national team to victory. The Next Goal Wins cast also includes Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.
Ahead of the official Next Goal Wins release date on November 17, the movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10. In the hours after its premiere, critics shared their first reviews. While the majority of critics found it reasonably charming and funny, they are split on whether Next Goal Wins is a true winner, with some saying it recycles Ted Lasso-style material in a blandly generic story that underserves its characters. Check out excerpts from select reviews below:
Ross Bonaime, Collider:
As a sports comedy, Next Goal Wins is fairly by-the-numbers, packed with training montages, bringing in new promising players, and inspirational speeches (even Rongen’s biggest speeches are borrowed from Taken and Any Given Sunday). Basically, take The Mighty Ducks, put them on a soccer field, and move them to American Samoa, and you’ve got essentially the same story. It’s not bad, but considering how Waititi has shaken up genres before, whether it’s exploring the rom-com in Eagle vs. Shark, a witty take on the mockumentary in What We Do in the Shadows, or even finding a new angle on the historical horror of the Holocaust with Jojo Rabbit, it’s kind of a shame that Waititi isn’t able to do this as well with Next Goal Wins.
Peter Debruge, Variety:
You do not go to a movie called “Next Goal Wins” to be surprised. In fact, if you have ever seen a movie before, you have already seen “Next Goal Wins.” That movie doesn’t even have to be “Next Goal Wins,” the 2014 documentary on which Waititi and co-writer Iain Morris based their remake. Maybe you’ve seen “The Mighty Ducks.” Or “Major League.” Heck, even if the only film you’ve ever seen is “The Human Centipede,” you can figure out where “Next Goal Wins” is going. But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy getting on a bus doing 20 in a 35 zone, headed straight for a destination anyone can imagine a mile away.
Lovia Gyarkye, THR:
Leaning almost exclusively on comedy, Waititi shortchanges his characters. He presents their development in fits and spurts, which translates to a choppy narrative rhythm… The practice sequences in Next Goal Wins are perfunctory, the moments in which the teammates rally to cheer up Thomas strained and the inspirational speeches forced. Even when the film tries to highlight the personality and traditions of the American Samoans, it sabotages the scenes by using them to mock the cluelessness of white outsiders like Thomas.
Pete Hammond, Deadline:
A real commercial crowd pleaser… Yes, this heartfelt movie fits right in with the well-overworked Hollywood sports movie formula.
Nick Schager, The Daily Beast:
In most respects, Next Goal Wins is incapable of following the basic sports-movie playbook. While there are plenty of potentially colorful characters in the American Samoa lineup, Waititi only develops one of them… Everyone else, from Tavita’s son Daru (Beulah Koale) to disgraced former goalie Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu), get at most a single personality trait in their marginal screen time.
Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire:
More broadly, the movie always fumbles when anything gets too serious — including a third act speech that reveals Thomas’ tragic backstory. This hasn’t always been a problem for Waititi as a filmmaker, especially in an expertly balanced work like “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” but here he seems eager to undercut emotion with a gag or another film reference.
Is Next Goal Wins The End Of An Era For Taika Waititi?
At the time of writing, Next Goal Wins has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 72%, which is still firmly Fresh. However, this score still pales in comparison to the lower-budget movies Waititi made in the 2010s, namely Boy (88%), What We Do in the Shadows (96%), and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (97%). This more lukewarm reaction could potentially provoke a major shift in his career.
Next Goal Wins sees Waititi taking a break from blockbuster filmmaking. Though his career began with the aforementioned smaller titles, he has recently focused most of his attention on his Marvel Cinematic Universe entries Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder as well as his upcoming Star Wars movie. If Next Goal Wins fails to become a critical and commercial success, he could potentially abandon lower-budget material for the time being and entirely spend his foreseeable future on bigger tentpole movies.
However, the Next Goal Wins true story may end up reflecting the story of the movie itself. Just like the underdog team at its center, the movie could prove to be a commercial hit despite these mixed reactions. While that remains to be seen, Waititi has proven his ability to connect with audiences time and again throughout his career.
Key Release Date
Next Goal Wins
Release Date:2023-11-17
