Set in 2011, the film around the Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) who reluctantly takes the job of coaching the worst team in the world in America Samoa for an upcoming qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is a film with a simple premise yet it is told in an offbeat fashion as it plays into a man at the bottom of his life as he has gained a notorious reputation for his angry outbursts in soccer games as he is forced to take this job or else become unemployed. The film’s screenplay by Taika Waititi and Iain Morris is largely straightforward though it opens with an America-Samoan priest (Taika Waititi) revealing about this story with some additional embellishments and dramatic liberties including a small tale about the infamous 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifying game between America Samoa and Australia in which the former lost to the latter in a score of 31-0.
The screenplay doesn’t just play into Rongen’s struggle to turn this team of misfits into a capable team but also with the America Samoan culture that is quite unique in terms of their devotion to faith as they would stop doing everything during a prayer bell as well as the fact that their upbeat despite the losses they take. Even as he learns that many of the players and staff that work for the national team have multiple jobs and don’t take things too seriously as it is a source of conflict for Rongen who takes the game seriously. Still, Rongen would find ways to connect with the locals in the team’s president Tavita (Michael Kightley) as well as a fa’afafine in Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana) whom Rongen sees as a natural defender as well as making him/her the team captain. Saelua would also help him recruit players including Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu) who was the goalie of that infamous game from 2001. The script also plays into Rongen’s reluctance to open up as he’s been separated from his wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) who was the person that suggested him for this job as a way to cope with issues he’s been trying to avoid.
Waititi’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of his compositions but also has elements of style in the way he portrays American Samoa as the film is shot largely in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are wide and medium shots in these locations including a mountain where a famous American Samoa site is held as Waititi makes the island a major location yet he keeps much of his film straightforward while also putting a few quirks to give the film a sense of flavor. Especially with its humor as it is offbeat in the way the locals present themselves but it never goes into parody where Waititi also uses video as a tour guide for Rongen to watch as well as why they don’t like Samoa. It’s among these little things that allows Waititi to play into Rongen’s own sense of confusion as he would eventually accept their customs while also having to think outside of the box in order coach them.
Waititi’s direction also has compositions that matches the same imagery from the 2014 documentary film of the same name while infusing it with some humor but also knows when to not put humor into something serious. Even as there’s scenes where Rongen is listening to phone messages from his daughter Nicole (Kaitlyn Dever) as a way to deal with his own emotions. The film’s climax is this qualifying game against Tonga as Waititi puts a lot into the game but also this element of drama as it relates to the many issues that Rongen has. Even as he still has this confusion about the America Samoan’s views on life and the world as well as how they play soccer even though there’s a lot riding against them. Yet, Waititi finds a way to showcase this idea of the good and the bad as well as how someone should take it no matter how hard life is. Overall, Waititi crafts a touching yet funny film about a troubled soccer coach going to American Samoa to turn their national team from the worst to a team of winners through just one goal.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting but also on low-key lighting to not give the film this vibrant look but rather something a little realistic but also colorful. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, Nicholas Monsour, and Nat Sanders do excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish montages as well as a scene late in the film with its usage of jump-cuts to play into something that is dramatic but also funny. Production designer Ra Vincent, along with supervising art director Peter Borck plus set decorators Katrin Chong and Taylor Jean, does amazing work with the look of the house that Rongen stays in during his tenure as well as the convenience store as well as the local restaurant that is run by Tavita with many of the players working there. Costume designer Miyako Bellizzi does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some island-inspired shirts and such that play into the island flavor of the film.
Visual effects supervisor Jason Chen does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the locations as well as in some of the video footage as it relates to footage of the past. Sound editors Phil Barrie and Ai-Ling Lee do terrific work with the sound work in the way a bell sounds from afar or up close that gets all of the natives to kneel and pray along with other natural sound effects as it adds to the atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is wonderful for its mixture of electronic and orchestral flourishes with island-folk based music that plays into the humor and drama with a soundtrack that features some American Samoa-based folk music as well as music from Dolly Parton, Tears for Fears, and Sia.
The casting by Katie Doyle, Mary Vernieu, and Michelle Wade Byrd is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Taika Waititi as the American-Samoan priest who is sort of the film’s narrator in the film’s opening scene, Kaitlyn Dever in a largely-voice role as Rongen’s daughter Nicole, Angus Sampson and Luke Hemsworth as a couple of Australian players/FIFA officials who are old friends of Rongen with the latter having played in that infamous qualifying game, Chris Alosio as a kid named Jonah who would be Rongen’s assistant during practices, Loretta Ables Sayre as Rambo’s mother who is also a local cop, Rhys Darby as a FIFA official who does some funny presentations for Rongen over his status, and Uli Latukefu as the goalie who played at the infamous 2001 qualifying game whom Rongen tries to convince to return as he’s still fit and able to play. Other notable roles in the film as players for the team include David Tu’itupou as a player known as Tall David, Hio Pelesasa as Samson, Semu Filipo as a local cop named Rambo with a fierce kick, Ioane Goodhue as Smiley, and Lehi Makisi Falepapalangi as Pisa.
Elisabeth Moss is fantastic as Rongen’s estranged wife Gail who also works for FIFA as she is the one to suggest to Rongen to go to American Samoa in the hope he can sort out his own issues as well as find a way to reconnect with him. Will Arnett is excellent as Alex Magnussen as a FIFA official and Gail’s current boyfriend who often spouts these hilarious metaphoric stories as he tries to help Rongen with his issues while also being a bit of a dick but in a fun way as Arnett proves to be the right choice as his role was meant for Armie Hammer until scandal broke out and the film and Arnett came in for re-shoots. David Fane is brilliant as Ace as a mild-mannered coach who doesn’t do confrontations as he proves to be a funny assistant coach for Rongen. Rachel House is amazing as Tavita’s wife Ruth who is often the voice of reason for Tavita while also doing a funny bit to get into Rongen’s head. Beulah Koale is awesome as Daru Taumua as Tavita and Ruth’s son who plays for the team but is skeptical about Rongen until he finds his worth for the team as he gets inspired by Rongen’s teachings.
Kaimana is incredible as Jaiyah Saelua as a fa’afafine player who doesn’t take him/herself seriously yet does find a way to connect with Rongen as well as become the team’s captain where he/she is revealed to be a great defensive player as well as someone not to mess with. Oscar Kightley is great as Tavita as the federation president for the national team as he is someone that constantly gets humiliated but also knows not to have high expectations as his humor is low-key yet effective while also displaying a view on life that is fascinating no matter how bad things can get. Finally, there’s Michael Fassbender in a phenomenal performance as Thomas Rongen as this once-revered soccer player/coach who has serious anger issues as he reluctantly takes this job to coach the worst team in the world where Fassbender showcases some humor as well as bring a lot of emotional weight to a man at the bottom of his life where it is one of Fassbender’s finest performances.
Next Goal Wins is a marvelous film from Taika Waititi that features a great leading performance from Michael Fassbender as well as tremendous supporting performances from Oscar Kightley and Kaimana. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a compelling real-life story of adversity and finding balance in both the good and bad of life. It is a film that isn’t just a fun sports movie but also a story of a man trying to turn the worst team in the world into a team of winners but also find himself in learning to take the good with the bad. In the end, Next Goal Wins is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi.
Related (Next Goal Wins (2014 film)) – The Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love & Thunder - (Klara and the Sun)
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Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of a troubled young boy who is sent to foster care where he finds an unlikely father figure in a cantankerous man as they get into trouble by the authorities as they flee into bushes of New Zealand. Written for the screen and directed by Taika Waititi, the film is a genre bender of adventure and comedy where a boy and a man who initially wanted nothing to do with each other become this unlikely duo who don’t play by the rules. Starring Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Waita, and Rachel House. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a witty and heartfelt film from Taika Waititi.
The film is a simple story of a teenage boy who is sent to live with a foster family where things go wrong prompting the boy and his new-foster uncle to go on the run into the New Zealand bushes with their dogs as a manhunt ensues for the two. It’s a film that is an adventure story of sorts yet it is really about this boy and this cantankerous man who is reluctant to be the uncle for this kid yet realizes the boy’s worth and what he has to do help him. Taika Waititi’s screenplay, with contributions from Te Arepa Kahi, explores this unique family situation where Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) arrives to this farm ran by a woman named Bella (Rima Te Waita) and her husband Hector (Sam Neill). For Ricky, he had been in a bunch of foster families all over New Zealand as he’s been causing trouble in places as his arrival to his home has him expecting another bad situation. Yet, Bella would be this very positive and loving figure for Ricky as it gives him something he’s never had but it would all change when child welfare want Ricky back and take him to a juvenile prison which Ricky refuses to go.
Hector isn’t keen on taking care of Ricky but upon realizing that Ricky and his new dog Tupac is lost in the bushes, he would find him as more trouble ensues when it is believed that Hector kidnapped Ricky. It’s not just these authorities such as the police and a child welfare officer named Paula (Rachel House) that are after Hector and Ricky but also three hunters the two encountered earlier as there’s a bounty for the two. During the course of the story, Ricky and Hector would have this bond in not just surviving the bushes with their dogs but also in each other as Hector is a man that has a hard time fitting into the world as he is still dealing with things as well as why he was reluctant to have Ricky in his life. During the course of evading the authorities, the two would become heroes in and around New Zealand though there’s some that think of them as just bad people where Ricky would find himself confronting Paula in one scene as it’s very funny due to the pop culture references mentioned in the scene.
Waititi’s direction definitely has some gorgeous visuals as a lot of it is shot in the areas in the Central Plateau and Waitakere Ranges in New Zealand with some of it shot in small towns in the country. The bushes in the film are definitely a major character as it provide this sense of a world that is completely disconnected from society which seems fitting as both Ricky and Hector are kind of outcasts who don’t fit in with the conventions of society. While Waititi would use some wide shots for these locations, he favors more intimate compositions with the usage of medium shots and close-ups as he would create unique framing that play into the growing bond between Ricky and Hector. There are also these amazing shots in which Waititi would use a tripod to shoot around the surroundings as it is among some of the most beautiful shots in the film as it play into some of the humor but also moments that are quite serious.
Even in scenes that are quite chilling including an encounter with a wild boar and other moments that are quite adventurous show Waititi emphasizing on the scale of the manhunt for the two as it would give Ricky and Hector the chance to deal with these setbacks and such. There are also these moments that are quite offbeat which include a brief animated sequence directed by Caroline Ting as it relates to this manhunt led by Paula as well as a moment early in the film where Ricky is lost in the woods as he becomes hungry. It’s part of Waititi’s own brand of humor where it’s not forced in order to get a laugh but rather play into some of the absurdity that goes on throughout the film. Yet, Waititi doesn’t use any of that to get to the importance of the story as it feature a lot of heart as it relates to this very unlikely relationship between a man and a boy that don’t have anything in common other than just being outcasts. Overall, Waititi creates an exhilarating yet heartfelt film about a teenage boy and a man hiding out in the bushes of New Zealand from some very bad people.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of natural light for some of the film’s exterior scenes including some in the bushes as well as the interior lighting in a few scenes inside the home of a few characters Ricky and Hector would meet. Editors Luke Haigh, Tom Eagles, and Yana Gorskaya do excellent work for utilizing some stylish cuts such as jump-cuts and dissolves while creating a few inventive montages that add to the film’s unique tone. Production designer Neville Stevenson and art director Jon Lithgow do amazing work with the look of the farm Ricky lived in with Hector and Bella as well as the home of a family he encounters and ranger huts he and Hector would find. Costume designer Kristen Seth does fantastic work with the costumes from the hip-hop inspired clothing that Ricky wears to the more rugged look of Hector as much of it is casual.
Hair/makeup designer Dannielle Satherley does nice work with the look of a few characters including Hector and a reclusive man known as Psycho Sam. Visual effects supervisor Kevin Andrew Smith does terrific work with the look of a few moments of visual effects that include a hilarious scene of hallucination from Ricky as well as the eerie moment with the wild boar. Sound designer Dick Reade does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the bushes as well as the sound of gunfire and such that add to some of the chaos as well as moments of humor. The film’s music by Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott, and Conrad Wedde is incredible for its mixture of low-key electronic music as well as some folk and piano-based music that give the film different flavors in the music to play into New Zealand’s diverse musical culture while music supervisor Natalie Wilson creates a fun soundtrack that features music from acts like Moniker, Bob Marley, the Alessi Brothers, and Leonard Cohen.
The casting by Stuart Turner is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Taika Waititi as a funny minister, Hamish Parkinson as a police official talking about a device that would help Paula, the trio of Cohen Halloway, Stan Walker, and Mike Minogue as hunters who meet Ricky and Hector only to hunt them down for the bounty later on, Troy Kingi as Maori man who is excited about Ricky in his house, and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne as Maori girl named Kahu that Ricky falls for as she lets him stay at his house for a night. Oscar Kightley is terrific as a dim-witted officer named Andy who often accompanies Paula as he’s treated like an idiot though it is clear he’s not as dim as she thinks he is. Rhys Darby is superb as Psycho Sam as this recluse who would help Ricky and Hector in the third act as he has some issues toward the authority as well as the government. Rachel House is excellent as Paula as a child welfare official who is determined to bring Ricky to juvenile detention as she isn’t this conventional antagonist but rather someone who believes in this idea of not leaving any child behind as it’s a very funny performance to watch.
Rima Te Waita is brilliant as Bella as Hector’s wife who is this warm figure that would bring a positive world to Ricky as well as provide a sense of importance to Ricky and Hector. Finally, there’s the duo of Sam Neill and Julian Dennison in tremendous performances in their respective roles as Hector and Ricky. Dennison’s performance is so lively as well as being quite funny in some of the hip-hop slang he says as well as being a quick learner in surviving the bushes as it’s a very engaging performance for someone that could’ve been grating but his development into someone trying to survive as well as needing a father figure is key to Dennison’s winning performance. Neill’s performance as Hector is definitely complex as someone who starts off as quiet and cantankerous as someone who doesn’t want to deal with people but he does have this toughness into his performance as someone who did go to prison as well as weariness of someone who has been through a lot and is trying to help Ricky survive the bushes. Neill and Dennison together are a joy to watch in the way they build up the relationship with Dennison as the funny guy and Neill as the straight man as they’re a major highlight of the film.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a phenomenal film from Taika Waititi that feature sensational performances from Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. Along with a great supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a touching yet witty story, and a fantastic music soundtrack. It’s a film that isn’t just this exciting and funny adventure film but also a film with a lot of heart as it play into the unlikely relationship between a man and a boy who are outcasts in modern society. In the end, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an outstanding film from Taika Waititi.
Taika Waititi Films: Two Cars, One Night - Eagle vs. Shark - Boy (2010 film) - What We Do in the Shadows - Thor: Ragnarok - Jojo Rabbit - Thor: Love and Thunder - Next Goal Wins (2023 film) - (Klara and the Sun) - Auteurs #64: Taika Waititi
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