The Beautiful Game Review: Netflix’s Worthy Sports Drama Reminds Us Why The Homeless World Cup Matters

Netflix’s new sports movie, The Beautiful Game, could not have come at a better time in relation to English football. Last week, in the lead up to England’s match against Brazil, controversy emerged over Nike’s decision to change the color of the St George’s cross on the English national team’s shirt. Nike’s design decision — which was in no way exclusive to the England shirt — led to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and leader of the opposition Kier Starmer publicly opposing the change, climaxing in a poorly attended protest march through London on the day of the Brazil game.

The Beautiful Game releases against this backdrop of empty nationalistic posturing to remind us what football (soccer for American viewers) is really all about. The Beautiful Game depicts football as a universal language, breaking down national barriers rather than erecting them. The film depicts England’s attempts to win the Homeless World Cup, which are both helped and hindered by star player Vinny (Micheal Ward) as he struggles to accept his situation. While the story is fictional, it was made in collaboration with the Homeless World Cup, and its theme of second chances is inspired by real-life stories of former players.

The Beautiful Game Brings The Homeless World Cup’s Message To A Global Audience

Writer Frank Cottrell Boyce deftly weaves the mission statement of the Homeless World Cup into the narrative, selecting four teams that highlight the different global definitions of homelessness. While the England team is the primary focus, we’re introduced to the US team via Rosita (Cristina Rodlo), an undocumented teenager who is a prospective Dreamers scholar. And then there’s the more mature Japanese team, who reflect the overwhelming number of middle-aged and elderly men experiencing homelessness in Japan. South Africa, meanwhile, is delayed by their own border forces due to objection to a migrant from Zimbabwe being on their national team.

Boyce never creates anything larger than these sketches of the homeless experience, but he doesn’t have to. The glimpses into the other teams’ backstories reflect these different global communities with economy and empathy. The stories of the England team are similarly diverse, encompassing addiction issues, the failures of the UK care system, and statelessness. And then there’s Vinny, a struggling father, estranged from his daughter and her mother, who refuses to see himself as homeless, despite living in his car. Vinny’s journey to recognize his circumstances and accept the friendship and help of others becomes more important than any trophy.

Many former Homeless World Cup players also appear in The Beautiful Game, emphasizing the positive impact that the competition has had on their lives. This adds an extra layer of authenticity, which is aided by a script that, for the most part, avoids some of the biggest clichés of the sports movie genre. That being said, a last minute revelation about the link between England coach Mal (Bill Nighy) and star player Vinny threatens to score an own goal. It’s a clunky twist that mercifully provides a touching epilogue rather than becoming a driver for the movie’s climactic scenes.

Micheal Ward Is The Beautiful Game’s Man Of The Match

Given that Thea Sharrock’s directing often feels quite televisual, there’s a risk that the movie comes across as a feature-length commercial for the Homeless World Cup. However, Top Boy‘s Micheal Ward lends the film a great deal of dramatic heft that helps lift The Beautiful Game above such criticisms. Vinny is a complicated character, veering from cold and stand-offish to outright cruel. His disgust at sharing a room with recovering heroin addict Nathan (Callum Scott Howells) builds to Vinny doing something so uncaring that it has major implications for his team.

Played by Callum Scott Howells, who broke the hearts of audiences as It’s A Sin‘s Colin, does similarly devastating work here, which threatens to completely turn the audience against Vinny. However, Ward’s quiet portrayal of Vinny’s guilt over his actions is the first moment that we see the cracks in his armor. Vinny’s armor draws comparisons with the avuncular front that his manager Mal puts up. Both men have similarly adopted a facade to hide their simmering resentments and bitter disappointments. Ward and Bill Nighy’s understated performances create a fascinating dynamic that feels quite new for a sports movie.

Nighy isn’t convincing as a football manager with a vicious temper, but he shines in the moments where Mal has to deliver learning moments to an angry and unpredictable Vinny. While Nighy and Ward are the standouts, their team is bolstered by some other strong performances. In addition to Howells, there’s Kit Young as Cal, who provides a fascinating contrast to Vinny, which causes antagonism at first but mellows into a fruitful partnership on the pitch. Robin Nazari’s Syrian refugee Aldar and Sheyi Cole’s Jason prove to be the team’s head and heart, each getting their own moments to shine.

Threatening to steal the show from everyone, however, is Susan Wokoma, who plays South African coach Protasia. The fact that this cheery and charismatic woman of God has a fierce rivalry with Nighy’s Mal is the perfect demonstration of the Homeless World Cup’s uniqueness. It’s truly a competition that is open to people from all backgrounds, creating a truly equal playing field. While The Beautiful Game can often feel like a commercial for an admittedly noble cause, the script and performances deliver a relatable human story of dashed dreams and second chances that reminds us why such charities are vital.