Director Taika Waititi was a rising star in the directing world with movies like Eagle vs Shark, Boy, What We Do In The Shadows and The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, all quirky comedies built of fascinating characters. Then the big boys came calling and tackling Marvel with Thor: Ragnarok. Waititi’s unusual wit and charm created one of the funniest superhero movies. However, since then, his career started to slip with the disappointing JoJo Rabbit and the dire Thor: Love and Thunder. Had he lost his touch? He has returned with a dramatisation of the 2014 documentary of the same name, and thankfully, he has returned to form.

American Samoa have the world’s worst football team. After a brutal loss of 31-0, they look like they are losing their chance to play in any FIFA matches unless they can improve. Meanwhile, Irish football coach Thomas Rongen is given an ultimatum after being fired by the American Soccer Association. Take a job coaching the American Samoa team, or quit football altogether. Biting the bullet, Rongen takes the job and finds an uphill battle with a group of locals with no talent and no chance of ever improving.

Waititi has taken the basic premise of the documentary and created his world of the weird and wonderful, with a film brimming with characters to cheer. Rongen starts life as a disagreeable man with anger management issues and hiding inside a bottle. His shock at the collective mess of a team and trying to turn them into a professional team that can win games seems like it will never work. He doesn’t seem to have hope with many players who can’t even kick a ball straight.

His only chance is the most unlikely of all the players, a transgender player, Jaiyah. After a shaky start, they build a relationship that could be seen as a positive move toward achieving the one dream of the islanders, scoring one goal. Waititi’s film is reminiscent of Cool Runnings, an underdog story of a team with no hope being brought together by an unlikely coach.

It has all the cliches of a sports movie: the no-hopers being turned into outside chances, the montage scenes of training, and the coach who thinks of throwing in the towel until a moment of revelation. Yet Waititi keeps the whole film moving, and you find yourself being won over by these no-hopers. You forget about the cliches and enter the cinema knowing the outcome, even if you haven’t seen the documentary. It has enough wit to keep the laughs coming, and the set pieces are bright and breezy. The relationship between Rongena and Jaiyah is surprisingly sweet.

Waititi has brought together a terrific cast who all work well. It’s nice to see Elizabeth Moss in a lighter form after a series of dramatic roles, including The Handmaid’s Tale, as Rongen’s former wife. The scene in which she, Will Arnett and Rhys Darby give Rongen the ultimatum is hilarious. Oscar Kightey, as Tavita, the team’s manager and general odd jobs man, is charming. Michael Fassbender, as Rongen, is the straight man to his cast of the comedy team, yet his timing and opportunity to show his comic muscles are impeccable. Seeing the usual actor given a lighter role is good, and he relishes it.

The real star of the film is Kaiman as Jaiyah. This is a tremendous performance from the newcomer, who brings sympathy and charm to the role of the trans player fighting her own difficulties with bullying and prejudice while coping with her journey. It adds a real heart to the story, keeps the whole movie grounded, and is so relevant to what is happening in the news today.

Next Goal Wins is not perfect, but it is the ideal antidote when we need laughter and something to cheer. It’s a true crowd-pleaser; you will be cheering by the end. The documentary is a must-see and, hopefully, will win a new audience after seeing this version. In the meantime, this is a natural tonic and Waititi’s best film since Ragnarok.

3 out of 5

Director: Taika Waititi

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Elizabeth Moss, Will Arnett, Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu

Written by: Taika Waititi and Iain Morris

Running Time: 103 mins

Cert: 12A

Release date: 26th December 2023