Next Goal Wins is a 2023 biographical sports comedy-drama directed and co-written by the uber-talented Academy Award Winner Taika Waititi (known for Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok), who co-wrote the screenplay with Iain Morris (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows). Filming took place in Honolulu.

The film recounts the true story of the American Samoa soccer team, notorious for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. With the World Cup Qualifiers looming, the team hires down-on-his-luck maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender), hoping he can turn the world’s worst soccer team around in this heartfelt underdog comedy.

The cast includes Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, Uli Latukefu, Rachel House, Kaimana, David Fane, Beulah Koale, Chris Alosio, Taika Waititi, Will Arnett, and Rhys Darby.

Next Goal Wins made its debut in theaters on November 17th, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

THE GOOD

I’m a Taika Waititi fan through and through, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I first became familiar with Waititi’s work with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a coming-of-age comedy-drama that I absolutely loved. What stood out to me most was the fact that this guy clearly had a signature style, and I was here for it. Waititi just gets it, and his films tend to be escapism in its finest form. When I watched the first trailer for Next Goal Wins I was intrigued, to say the least, and I knew I would be seeing this in theaters right away. So, did it hold up to what I have come to expect? Keep reading to find out!

I genuinely enjoyed Next Goal Wins for several reasons, but it is not without its flaws which I will talk about later in the review. To focus on the positive this is what I would consider to be a genuinely heartwarming underdog story with several great characters that are easy to root for. The setting is fantastic and offers up some spectacular shots, and it was clear the entire cast had a blast making this movie. The Taika Waititi touch was evident throughout, and let me just say I am ALWAYS here for that.

I would have to say the primary draw for Next Goal Wins aside from Waititi would be the story, which on its surface is pretty straightforward as it tells the story of a disgraced soccer team looking to do one thing, score a single goal. The first goal in the team’s history, as a matter of fact. Now this isn’t your typical underdog sports comedy-drama as the film rarely takes itself too seriously, but it does have a few unexpected dramatic elements that add another level of depth to the story. I felt immersed from the start in the overall feel of the film and the story was a big reason why.

From the jump the cast had me fired up, particularly the fact that Michael Fassbender would be taking on the primary role in the film. Fassbender is a very talented actor, and his involvement had me leaning toward the obvious fact that this film would be very good. Now although I did enjoy his role, it left something to be desired which I will talk about later on in the review.

My favorite performance in the film is easily my guy Oscar Kightley who delivers as always. Now this dude is not a household name by any means, but the Samoan-New Zealand actor is a Taika Waititi favorite and even starred in Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople. He is absolutely hilarious in this, and to be honest, this movie isn’t nearly as good as it was without him. He just brings so much positive energy to his roles and is just a great on-screen presence. I also really enjoyed Rachel House in her role, who also played a part in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. House has a strong on-screen presence as well and always demands the attention of the audience. I also thought Kaimana was great in her role as Jaiyah. The supporting cast was solid from top to bottom, even including a few very recognizable names in small roles like Elisabeth Moss and Will Arnett, and I always enjoy the hilarious New Zealand actor Rhys Darby no matter what role he plays.

Director Taika Waititi is my guy, and I would literally follow him to the ends of the Earth. This dude just has something about him that always translates to his films, a certain feel that I have always gravitated to. Sure his accent is hilarious, but even more than that he is not concerned with the stereotypical idea of success. Waititi doesn’t even consider himself to be a director necessarily, he says he is an artist who just happens to be directing movies and I believe him. Waititi isn’t concerned with what type of movies he is “supposed” to be making, he makes films that mean something to him and provide viewers with an escape from reality. He can’t quite figure out why people want him to make his movies more serious or I guess more depressing because at the end of the day, we go to the movie theater to get away and he understands that. So yeah, my favorite thing about this movie is the fact that it is Taika Waititi through and through.

I was pleased with Next Goal Wins from a technical perspective, but it’s not going to blow you away by any means. The film has a fantastic setting as it was filmed in Honolulu, Hawaii, a place that many have considered a vacation destination ever since they were kids. The fact that it is a gorgeous place is undeniable, and I loved that they took full advantage of the filming location as far as the cinematography and just the overall feel.

When Fassbender’s character gets settled into his new “home” as coach of the team he sort of has this attitude like this place is a real dump, but then he walks outside and is literally on the beach. I mean, if I’m renting this place on Airbnb I’m walking around taking videos talking about how amazing it is. The other primary thing that stands out for Next Goal Wins is the soundtrack which I really enjoyed and thought added some nice overall value to the film. Plus as usual, Taika Waititi was a master behind the camera taking full advantage of his opportunities.

THE BAD

As I made pretty clear in the review I enjoyed Next Goal Wins but it could have and should have been so much better which is honestly a bit frustrating. The root of the issues I had with the film are with the screenplay, more specifically character development, or lack thereof. The film is an underdog story about a soccer team trying to erase the memory of a demoralizing and embarrassing defeat, but another driving force for the story is the story of redemption for disgraced soccer coach Thomas Rongen, played by Michael Fassbender.

In order for the story to really flourish audiences needed to buy into Fassbender’s character and the progress he makes as a coach and as a person. The film is mostly a comedy for sure, but Rongen’s personal life is a mess, and one particular life-changing event has led to his ultimate downfall as a soccer coach. Now I know Fassbender is a talented actor, I mean look no further than the recently released Netflix film The Killer, but for me, his character ultimately left a lot to be desired. I just thought his character development felt very messy and inconsistent, which for me just took away from what I thought was another powerful element of the story.

THE VERDICT

A feel-good quirky comedy-drama with an inspirational message and lots of quality laughs, Next Goal Wins is held back by poor character development but ultimately makes for a uniquely wholesome experience only Taika Waititi can provide. I’m glad to see Waititi back to making movies that really have his signature feel, and although he can still make his mark with some of these bigger franchise films I do hope he continues to make films like this. I do wish the screenplay was able to flesh out the characters a bit better, but for my money, Next Goal Wins is still a quality film with plenty to offer.