I almost resented Elijo Creer (2023) (aka Soccer Soul on HBOMax) for failing to be as exciting as Argentina's performance at WC 2022. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/elijo-creer-2023/
Courts of Belonging (2024) is a 10-min short documentary showing how a futsal court in Portland, Maine has built community for its migrant neighborhood. Watch the film on vimeo. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/courts-of-belonging-2024/
The 2023 stage play "Dear England" is going to be made into a movie. Based on this trailer for the play, and reviews from last year, I'm looking forward to seeing this film someday!
The Beautiful Game (2024) is a light-hearted British drama about the Homeless World Cup. A former player faces his homelessness with the help of the man who scouted him for West Ham. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/the-beautiful-game-2024/
I value Next Goal Wins (2023) for its depiction of a Polynesian culture where everyone is welcomed and accepted. Taika Waititi's film is funny and touching, and the soccer is okay too. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/in-next-goal-wins-2023/
A Game of Three Halves (2020) is a 5-episode AUS series of animated shorts and thoughtful narrated essays that depict soccer culture very well. On Kanopy. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/a-game-of-three-halves-2020/
The Ladies with Style (2022) is very well done, and congratulations to Director Caroline Brouckaert for taking brand storytelling far beyond an infomercial. It's the story of the Mamelodi Sundowns women winning the 2021 inaugural Womens Champions League in Africa. On netflix See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/the-ladies-with-style-2022/
Under Pressure: The US Womens World Cup Team (2023) is one of those series where I had to really force myself to finish watching. It's about several players I really couldn't care about, while the team turns in the worst performance in USWNT history. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/under-pressure-2023/
Let it Bring Hope: Bohemians v Palestine (2024) is an interesting 22-min short film about a May-2024 friendly between Palestine Womens Team vs Bohemian FC in Ireland. Bohemian FC has (had?) a poet in residence, John Cummins, and his poem starts the film. I tried to transcribe it, but not sure about one word... Watch the video to hear it with a nice Irish accent... football connects us football unites educates frustrates us football excites football has the power to take us away from the troubles in our day that's why we play and for a few minutes we're a child again not a care in the world free to run wild again to fun smile again spend a while again and again and again and again in the company of a ball girl boy old young no matter the tone (??) football is a friend to all by John Cummins
The Netflix documentary The Final: Attack on Wembley (2024) does a great job conveying and recreating the horror as a massive event went wrong. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/the-final-wembley-2024/
The documentary Aussie Chuk-gu Dream (2015) does an excellent job of showing how a Korean community can use sport to assimilate in Australia. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/aussie-chuk-gu-dream-2015/
The Netflix drama The Champion (El Campeón) (2024) is a welcome diversion. It's football with a little introspection, a tale that on many surfaces looks shiny and realistic but in some areas is a bit flawed. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/el-campeon-2024/
I found Inside Story (2011) to be entertaining, educational about AIDS and Africa, and uplifting. It is worth a watch on Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/inside-story-2011/
Rafa Márquez: El Capitan (2024) shows us the milestones in Rafa's career as well as his worst mistakes. As one of the interviewees points out, when you are a big star, you are always in the thick of it. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/rafa-marquez-2024/
In Sesham Mike-il Fathima (2023), Kalyani Priyadarshan enthusiastically portrays Fathima, a young Muslim woman in Kerala, who steadfastly pursues what she wants despite industry and familial sexism. She wants to be the first female commentator in the Indian Football League. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/sesham-mike-il-fathima-2023/
The story of Onye Egwu (2023) is a Nollywood mess, and despite a women director, is abundant with 1-dimensional female stereotypes. On Amazon Prime. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/onye-egwu-2023/
The Netflix series The Playbook: A Coach's Rules for Life (2020) is the best show I've seen on coaching collegiate and world class athletes. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/the-playbook-2020/
The Netflix series Club América vs. Club América (2022) gives a good sense of what appeals to Mexican fans about futbol, and what made Club América so popular. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/club-america-2022/ (This review is thanks to you, @Kaitlyn! )
The 2021 documentary Kids Cup (Bortebane) is an enjoyable family film depicting how young teenagers experience a trip away to a large youth tournament in Norway. On Kanopy. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/kids-cup-2021/
Hero Steps (2016) (Pasos de Héroe) has good examples of disability and Colombian rural life that can be discussed with children. It is a heartwarming story of a boy who has lost his lower leg, but he has not lost the strength to manifest his dream of competing in a futbol tournament. On Amazon Prime. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/pasos-de-heroe-2016/
Untold: Hope Solo vs US Soccer (2024) is a well-told documentary that presents a balanced view of a talented athlete. It raises our sympathy and/or gives us reason to write her off. Hope Solo is too often a bad girl caught doing bad things. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/untold-hope-solo-2024/
The 10-episode dramatic series Old Rookie is like Jerry Maguire if Tom Cruise were Japanese, an ex-pro athlete, and cried a lot. On Netflix as The Old Dog, New Tricks? See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/old-rookie-2022/
Christmas in Notting Hill (2023) is a fairly typical Hallmark film. Watch it on Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/christmas-in-notting-hill-2023/
While I don't think I can stomach watching this film again, I really enjoyed the Argentine thriller Punto Rojo (2021) from Nic Loreti. As he says, Punto Rojo breathes cinema. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/punto-rojo-2021/
An Invisible Victim - The Eliza Samudio Case (2024) is a frustrating story to watch because there are no good endings and there is no justice. On Netflix. See my full review at https://soccermoviemom.com/an-invisible-victim-2024/