Genre Comedy

Next Goal Wins (2023)

Item: Next Goal Wins
Rating: 3.0
Author: Ross McLaren

★★★ — Next Goal Wins (2023)

Let's talk about Michael Fassbender's accent. Or rather, his accents, plural. Because at some point during Next Goal Wins I genuinely lost count of how many he was cycling through. British? American? Irish? Dutch? Because you're getting all four, sometimes within the same scene. It's distracting in a way that's almost impressive. I've seen Fassbender do great work (I loved him in X-Men: First Class), so I know what he's capable of, which makes the vocal wandering here all the more baffling. It's not a dealbreaker, but it does keep nudging you out of the story at exactly the moments you want to be pulled in.

And then there's Taika Waititi. I'll be honest: I'm not entirely sure comedy is his strongest suit as a director. I know that's a controversial opinion given how many people adore his work, and I get the charm in something like Thor: Ragnarok. But there's something about his comic timing that just doesn't land for me the way it seems to for everyone else. The jokes here feel slightly off-beat in the wrong way, reaching for laughs that don't quite arrive. It's a feeling I can't fully articulate, but I know it when I sit there waiting to laugh and nothing happens.

Here's the thing, though: despite both of those gripes, I actually enjoyed this film. Quite a bit, in the end. The closest comparison I can reach for is Cool Runnings, that warm, feel-good energy of a genuinely underdog team finding belief in themselves against all odds. It's wearing its heart on its sleeve and it's not ashamed of that, and honestly, neither am I.

The main character is, for a large chunk of the runtime, genuinely unlikeable. He's a drunk, he's difficult, he's self-destructive, and the film asks quite a lot of your patience before it explains why. But when the twist comes and you understand what's been driving all that self-destruction, it reframes everything in a way that actually works. It's not a cheap reveal. It earns the emotional payoff.

What really got me, though, was the window the film opens onto life and culture in American Samoa. There's a warmth and authenticity to the way the community is portrayed that gives the whole thing a grounding the comedy sections sometimes lack. The people feel real. The place feels real. It's one of those films that sends you straight to a Wikipedia rabbit hole afterwards, wanting to know more about a corner of the world you'd barely thought about before.

And the fact that it's loosely based on a true story makes it all the more endearing. These things actually happened. That team, that record, that journey. Knowing that adds a layer of affection to the whole experience that a purely fictional story wouldn't have.

So yes, I have criticisms, and I've made them. The accent situation is genuinely strange, and Waititi's comedy style isn't for everyone, me included. But strip those away and you've got a solid, warm, well-meaning sports movie that left me smiling. American Samoa has earned a fan in me. Three and a half stars.

Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2025-05-21

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Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Stream: Hulu
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

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