As much as Hollywood would like Taika Waititi to fully assimilate into the blockbuster system, the writer/director/star remains resistant. He seems to have instead heeded the advice of auteur Martin Scorsese, who insisted a concept of “one for them, one for me” was the best way tonavigate a career in film successfully.
Next Goal Wins sees Waititi sidestepping away from the bombast and computer-generated spectacle of his Thor blockbusters, slipping past work on his long-awaited Star Wars movie, and weaving through a host of other big-name projects he’s attached to, such as live-action adaptations of manga classic Akira, the graphic novel The Incal and a modern updating of the old space hero Flash Gordon, to name just a few, in favour of making a small movie about a terrible football team.
It’s easy to see why the project appealed. Compared to those films, with their hardcore fanbases, monumental budgets and the associated stresses of bridging those two things, Next Goal Wins is as low-stakes as Waititi could possibly get. Its complete budget wouldn’t even cover star Chris Hemsworth’s salary for Thor: Love and Thunder.
The movie is loosely based on the true story of American Samoa’s dismal team, who were humiliatingly massacred by Australia 31-0 in 2001. At risk of being given the boot by Fifa, the small country roped in a new coach to move to the island and help lead them to glory - or, at the very least, losses that could be considered somewhat respectable.
Their unusual story came to Waititi’s attention via a 2014 documentary of the same name. It’s easy to see why it appealed to his sensibilities. The team’s story is quirky and full of heart. It’s a combination that feels almost tailor-made for Waititi. It’s also an indigenous story of the sort he committed himself to telling - and helping others tell - during his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2020.
As well as boasting a largely Polynesian cast, Next Goal Wins also brings fa’afafine culture into the global spotlight thanks to the team’s star striker Jaiyah Saelua, the first transgender footballer to take to the field in a Fifa World Cup. Fittingly, Saelua is portrayed on screen by fa’afafine actor Kaimana.
Oscar Kightley and Michael Fassbender in Next Goal Wins.
Saelua can be considered the second lead of the movie which, along with the team’s zeroes-to-heroes storyline, explores the often-fiery relationship between Saelua and Thomas Rongen, the American coach tasked with turning the team’s fortunes around.
Played by the always-reliable Michael Fassbender, Rongen is disgruntled at his new assignment, in the clutches of a midlife crisis after his wife left him and working solidly on becoming an alcoholic. Coaching a team of deadbeats he can understand, but fa’afafine culture is as foreign to him as many of the traditions of his new home.
The most surprising thing about Next Goal Wins is how unsurprising it is. Especially for a filmmaker like Waititi, whose knack for upending conventions and confounding expectations are two of his biggest strengths. The movie is a classic underdog tale that’s every bit as straightforward and workman-like as that description suggests.
While the film may stick rigidly to the genre playbook, that doesn’t mean Waititi isn’t having some fun with it. He’s playing by the rules, but has still found room to be creative. His personality, left-field humour and directorial style are all on display right from the movie’s opening whistle, which sees Waititi cameo as an eccentric priest, reminiscent of his role in his 2016 breakthrough movie Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
On the American Samoa side, his cast is stacked with a mix of veterans and newcomers. Familiar faces include Oscar Kightley, Rachel House, David Fane, Uli Latukefu and Frankie Adams. Joining Fassbender to represent the rest of the world are Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett, Rhys Darby and Kaitlyn Deaver. Everyone delivers.
Michael Fassbender in a scene from Next Goal Wins. Photo / AP
With a great cast and a story that’s a smidge too predictable for its own good, the movie largely relies on Waititi’s famed humour to bring home the win. And while it’s often humorous, it’s rarely laugh-out-loud funny.
But Waititi only has one true comedy in his filmography, 2014′s What We Do in the Shadows. His movies are funny, sure, but he’s always shot for more than just laughs. He aims for your heart as much as he does your funny bone. And that’s certainly true here.
By nature of the genre, Next Goal Wins is an uplifting watch. It’s feel-good cinema. Something enjoyable for the holidays. It’s no cinematic red card, but following the career-making statement that was Jojo Rabbit, there’s no denying how slight it is.
But after all the Oscar craziness and blockbuster pressures of his last few years, perhaps that was the game plan all along.
