Review of NEXT GOAL WINS: Coaching the Coach

December 8, 2023

At the 2011 World Cup qualifying round, the football team of American Samoa lost terribly to Australia for an unprecedented 31-0 rout. Because of this humiliating loss, they've gained the snarky reputation as the worst football team in the world. Since then, they have never even converted a single goal in any international match with any team ever.

10 years later, American professional football coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) was fired because he had been on a losing streak with his old team. This left him no other option but to accept the impossible assignment of flying over to American Samoa to coach their football team and get it ready for the 2021 World Cup qualifying round.  

There had already been several comedy films made about underdog sports teams and their quest for redemption with a coach who has seen better days, from "The Bad News Bears" (1972) to "The Mighty Ducks" (1992) to "The Longest Yard" (2005).  "Next Goal Wins" also followed that same familiar formula, so we already have a general idea how things will go. This reminds you of "Cool Runnings" (1993), being based in facts with a laidback island vibe. 

Michael Fassbender is more known for seriously intense roles, from "Hunger" (2008) to "Shame" (2011) to "The Killer" (2023), or even as Magneto in the X-Men movies. As the scrawny hothead loser coach Thomas Rongen, this was a Fassbender you've never seen before, both physically and attitudinally. Comedy is clearly not exactly his comfort zone, and he can look quite awkward in several scenes, but he still pulled it off overall.  

This film gave ample positive exposure to several Polynesian actors. Oscar Kightly (as fatherly FFAS president Tavita), Beulah Koale (as his son Daru Taumua) and David Fane (as their kind former coach Ace) are of Samoan descent. Uli Latukefu (as the goalie Nicky Salapu) is of Tongan descent. Very prominent in the story was American Samoan non-binary actor Kaimana as Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender player ever in a World Cup qualifier. 

The screenplay by director Taika Waititi was adapted from the 2014 documentary of the same title by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison. That self-proclaimed Polynesian Jew Waititi was at the helm somehow assured us that all the comedy made at the expense of the American Samoan people (from their clumsy haka to their silly welcome dance) was handled properly.  The beautiful rendition of traditional folk songs with harmony added a very nice touch. 7/10.