TIFF 2023: Next Goal Wins Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Coming hot off the heels of his Oscar-winning WWII-dramedy Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi intended to follow it up almost immediately with Next Goal Wins, a film which was scheduled to be released back in 2020. A global pandemic, the removal of Armie Hammer and poor test screening reactions all contributed to it getting delayed by three and half years, becoming the most troubled production in recent memory. In the years since its original release date, Ted Lasso completely stole its thunder and raised the bar for soccer-adjacent media. Waititi’s reputation, meanwhile, had also completely plummeted due to the poor reception of Thor: Love & Thunder and his social media antics, especially his dismissive response regarding the ongoing SAG-AFRA and WGA strikes. 

Based on the acclaimed documentary of the same name, Next Goal Wins stars Michael Fassbender as temperamental Dutch-American Soccer coach Thomas Rongen. After several public outbursts, his career found itself on the ropes. As a result, Rongen was given the seemingly impossible task of turning the American-Samoan team into an elite squad; a team that had infamously never scored a goal in a FIFA-affiliated game, and were most known for losing to Australia with an embarrassing final score of 31-0. On the surface, the film bares many similarities to other sports comedies. Rongen’s entire character arc is made abundantly clear within the initial moments of the film, audiences expecting Waititi to break the mold and create a wholly unique film, as he had done time and time again, may be frustrated. While it may be a simplistic crowd-pleaser that lacks any sort of complexity, his unique brand of energy and genuine positivity makes it a cut above the average sports flick.

Waititi uses the story to shine a light on American Samoan culture, which has long been under-represented in media, alongside other Polynesian nations. He makes the smart decision to place the sports elements of the film on the backburner, and instead focus on exploring the culture. He playfully draws humor from plays on the contrast between the laidback lifestyle of American Samoa competitive nature and the world Rongen is used to in a way that never feels exploitive or mean-spirited. Waititi explores this culture with a fondness and sensitivity, presenting the idea to audiences that they can learn a thing or two from the kindness that is instilled into American-Samoan people to the point that it skillfully flips the white savior narrative on its head. Rongen is intentionally the only character who experiences any growth. He learns from the American-Samoan people, rather than the other way around.

Waititi’s whip-smart script provides some entertaining dialogue for Fassbender, who is given the rare opportunity to lean more into comedy. While it is enjoyable to witness him step into a very different kind of role, he is easily the weakest link. He portrays Rongen in an overly-exaggerated fashion, which undercuts any dramatic moments and makes his transition from miserable to compassionate feel completely jarring. The primarily Samoan supporting cast elevate the material significantly and steal the show from Fassbender. The standout is undoubtedly Kaimana, who delivers a compassionate and well-rounded performance as Jaiyah Saelua, the first trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. However, the film doesn’t explore her story with depth, and the way her relationship to Rongen is portrayed is fabricated and potentially problematic. Jaiyah is the most interesting aspect of the story and more of the focus should have been placed on her, considering how much of a trailblazer she was and continues to be for trans and non-binary individuals within organized sports.