Review: Next Goal Wins - Taika Waititi’s sporting comedy doesn’t quite punch above its weight this time

Next Goal Wins, the latest movie from celebrated Kiwi director Taika Waititi, arrived in cinemas on Boxing Day, with the film looking maybe to take advantage of the strange space between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to perhaps coax those with time on their hands to shake off the post-Christmas blues and get back into the cinema. Early reviews though have not been quite as receptive compared to Waititi’s other films, with some suggesting that it severely punches below its weight.

The tale follows Dutch-born US football coach Thomas Rongen, played by Michael Fassbender, who is tasked with coaching the (as of that stage) worst football team affiliated with FIFA: American Samoa. We are treated to a highlight package of what made the team world-famous, their 31-0 drubbing at the hands of Australia, and we learn that perhaps Rongen’s appointment to the national team is more to help him heal, according to his ex-partner played by Elizabeth Moss. 

Cue the training montages, Rongen coming to grips with the culture shock he experiences in a devoutly religious country, while also learning about customs such as what a fa'afafine is, marinated raw fish in coconut milk and discovering the team has barely been taught the tenets of football/soccer. We even have an additional Taika Waititi cameo, once again playing a priest akin to his cameo in the Sam Neil/Julian Dennison buddy movie, Hunt For The Wilderpeople and a heartfelt revelation that explains why Rongen has the attitude that has seen him relieved from duties from several other football clubs - America Samoa is his last chance at redemption, not just as a coach but as a human being too. 

The movie isn’t a terrible offering, and perhaps far less atrocious than some reviews suggested ahead of its cinematic release. But it seems to rely a little much on the cultural elements of America Samoa and some of the humour derived from South Pacific culture; the jandal thrown at someone as a means of discipline, how characters speak to one another. Perhaps it is that humour that, as a Kiwi, I appreciated but can understand if it failed in translation for some viewers.

But it just feels like this is one of those Taika Waititi films that would have done well in New Zealand and then exported around the world, akin to his earlier works Boy or Hunt For The Wilderpeople, shoehorned with a big movie studio budget and some big names involved in Fassbender and Elizabeth Moss. When in reality, the funniest and most heartfelt moments come from the cast of South Pacific performers, including Massive Company alum Beaulah Koale, Young Rock performer Uli Latukefu and Semu Filipo as Rambo, who steals the entire film with his moments on screen.

Perhaps Waititi’s take on the tale in his irreverent fashion isn’t what audiences want from their sports film; a heartwarming tale of an underdog sports team has already been done to death, be it Slap Shot starring Paul Newman, Major League with Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger and even recently, the award-winning AppleTV+ series Ted Lasso. 

It falls into some pretty “Varsity Blues” style of storytelling - someone making a sacrifice for the team despite it taking a personal toll, the idea of not winning but restoring confidence in a team - it’s just that instead of following the high school quarterback, we’re following Fassbender’s coach instead, an instantly unlikeable character who quickly sums up the reason for his angst towards the end of the film and finally resolves to lead the team to their successes and finally remove the chip on his shoulder.

Those themes don’t seem to mesh well this time with Waititi’s cinematic style, and with the wealth of talent involved, it feels as if it doesn’t live up to what it could be. Fassbender, a brilliant actor, seems floundering with the comedic timing one has come to expect from Waititi’s works, and it’s a rare miss. Next Goal Wins has some genuinely funny moments, some very funny moments if you’re familiar with Samoan customs, traditions and dare I say it, “stereotypes,” but as a whole, it’s pretty hit-and-miss.