“Next Goal Wins” is directed by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) who also appears in the film as the character “American Samoa Priest.” The film also stars Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs, X-Men: First Class), Oscar Kightley (Sione’s Wedding, Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Kaimana, David Fane (Sione’s Wedding, Love Birds), Rachel House (Moana, Soul), Beulah Koale (Hawaii-Five-0, Dual), Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man, Mad Men). Based on the 2014 documentary of the same name, this film is about what happens when an arrogant coach and one of the world’s worst soccer teams come together with the hopes of making the latter do something they are not necessarily known for doing. Scoring goals and winning.

Taika Waititi is one of those Hollywood personalities that I can respect, but I think he also has his moments of taking said personality too far. I think he has a knack for humor at times, even if I think his “Thor” movies are inferior to Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 MCU installment. In recent years, I thought “Jojo Rabbit” has proven he is both a great storyteller and just about as good of an actor. His portrayal of Adolf Hitler in that film was one of the best of the year. In 2021, one of my favorite films of the year, “Free Guy,” starred Waititi as Antwan, the greedy executive who serves as the film’s antagonist. No disrespect to Ryan Reynolds, there is an argument to make that Waititi stole every scene he was in. He had this swagger to him that I was not expecting out of a character of this nature. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the character. That’s how good Waititi was in the film.

His latest film prior to this one, “Thor: Love and Thunder” got a thumbs up from me, but perhaps just barely. I think the film did an alright job mixing comedy and drama together, but the comedy sometimes becomes too silly to the point where it almost tarnishes the more dramatic elements. I was also not a fan of when Waititi publicly and perhaps mockingly called out his distaste for how the VFX turned out. I am all for recognizing your own faults, but when you are trying to sell a movie, I don’t think mocking a great span of the people who made it is the best move. It would be like if I were a delivering a Domino’s pizza, handing it off to the customers, and leaving them off by saying I worked for Papa John’s and I think the people over there usually put more care into their pies. That’s why I went into “Next Goal Wins” with lukewarm expectations. How did the movie turn out? Well, I’ve seen worse this year. But the way I saw this movie is the way most of my country sees soccer. A snoozefest that makes me wish I were watching something else.

I appreciate the concept of “Next Goal Wins” because it is not just an underdog story, it is one that celebrates failure in a such in an embracing manner. It reminds me a bit of “The Disaster Artist,” one of my favorite A24 movies that goes into the making of “The Room.” Similarly, there was another sports film I saw last year called “The Phantom of the Open,” where an unlikely man participates in professional golf, much to the dismay of those involved with the sport. “Next Goal Wins” recognizes the lowest points of both its protagonist coach and the team he has to reluctantly oversee. Unfortunately, when the reluctant coach is put together with the below par group of athletes, the on-screen chemistry is iffy at best. There are certain matches between the coach and the team. Not to mention, there happen to be certain relationships throughout the film that are well developed, but the movie spends most of its time devoted to one tired comedy gag after another. The film may call itself a comedy, but it is subjective as anything deemed artistic. I failed to find it funny. Sure, maybe I had a couple laughs here and there during the film. But I would not be able to tell you what it that got me to laugh. Overall, I found a good portion of the film forgettable and that is not a word I was expecting to use out of a picture like this. If you know me in real life, perhaps one of my weaknesses, though I personally call it a strength, is my resistance to take some things seriously. Everything is a joke to me. That is almost the mentality that Waititi takes to heart throughout “Next Goal Wins,” and it only hurts the final product. Between “Thor: Love and Thunder” and now “Next Goal Wins,” Taika Waititi is practically overdoing his comedic efforts to the point where they feel in your face, and therefore unfunny.

This film is not going to win any Oscars. Does it look competent? Perhaps. Is the acting okay? Sure. Does the story make sense? Yes. But the movie is bombarded with negatives to the point where those stand out a lot more than the positives. It does get better as it goes along, because I started off this movie not liking anyone. I thought the coach was not a great center of the story as it started. I found the characters on team uninteresting. It was not an easy task latching onto this film’s ensemble. Michael Fassbender does an okay, albeit far from awards-worthy job with the material given to him, but it is not enough. If I had to guess, it ultimately comes down to direction, because almost every choice in the film comes off either as some semblance of a joke. “Next Goal Wins” is basically what happens when a joke is taken too far. Although in this case, the joke is never offensive, it just lingers much longer than it should to the point where it leaves a bad aftertaste.

I will give credit where it is due because despite the somewhat predictable structure of the film, there are some unexpected and unique creative choices brought to fruition in the film whether it is through writing, editing, or narration. I cannot say I was a fan of all these choices, but despite finding the movie dull, these choices kept some banality out of the final product. And that is kind of what this movie is in multiple ways. A series of halfway marks. I found the story boring, but great in concept. I found the characters to have personalities, but they just didn’t leap off the screen for me. I found the movie to be heartfelt, but it is sullied by bad humor.

But I must add, one of those creative choices becomes a driving force in the climax, and it honestly took whatever fun I was having in the movie, if any, and lessened it to such an unbelievable degree. It resulted in a conclusion that was not as satisfying as it could have been. When it comes to this vision, Taika Waititi is like a class clown, but in this case as I watch him, I am the teacher telling him to stop joking around and focus on his studies. “Next Goal Wins” is far from this year’s worst picture, but it is easily one of the most forgettable.

In the end, “Next Goal Wins,” much like the American Samoa national football team, fails to score any goals. It is not a travesty that will go down in history as one of the most awful pieces of crap Hollywood has ever produced, but I do not know if I will be thinking about this movie in about five years from now. I have not seen all of Taika Waititi’s work, but I think after watching this film, I cannot say I am looking forward to whatever feature film he does next as much as I previously expected. Hopefully he turns things around. I am going to give “Next Goal Wins” a 4/10.

Come to think of it, “Next Goal Wins” might not even the worst sports movie I have seen this year, because “80 for Brady” exists. So congratulations, Taika Waititi! Tom Brady and four elderly women just saved your butt! And yes, if you read that review, you’ll notice the score for “80 for Brady” is higher than what this film got. I wonder if I was too generous on that review. But at the end of the day, they’re just numbers. What can I say?

“Next Goal Wins” is now playing in theaters. Granted, none of them are near me at this point. But if you live in a certain market, it could be playing near you. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the brand new Alexander Payne-directed film, “The Holdovers!” I have been looking forward to this movie for quite some time, and having seen it, I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you all. Also coming soon, I will have my thoughts on “Napoleon,” “Godzilla Minus One,” “Ferrari,” “The Boy and the Heron,” and “Dream Scenario.” If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Next Goal Wins?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite Taika Waititi movie? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!