On and off the field, soccer, the world’s most popular sport, ignites zealous passions. Filmmakers have been inspired to use the game, and everything that surrounds it, as a vehicle for humanist stories, some with themes of brotherhood or resilience, and others carrying significant political messages.
With the World Cup in full swing right now, here are 14 films that showcase the global reach of “the beautiful game.”
‘A Barefoot Dream’ (2010)
Rent it on Amazon Prime Video.
Soon after East Timor gains independence in 2002, a Korean soccer player past his prime (Park Hee-soon) arrives in the nascent nation seeking a new start. What he finds amid the turmoil are poor children playing soccer barefoot. He becomes their coach with the intent of taking them to an international competition. Though conventionally inspirational, the film, based on a true story, is set apart by its location and specific cultural exchange.
‘Bend It Like Beckham’ (2003)
Stream it on Disney+ or rent it on most major platforms.
Faced with her traditional family’s expectations of women, the British-Indian teenager Jess (Parminder Nagra) chooses to play soccer in secret. That’s her true calling, and she finds encouragement in her new best friend and teammate, Jules (a young Keira Knightley). Putting a refreshing spin on the classic premise of outsiders fighting to stay true to themselves, the film is a cross-cultural delight, as funny as it is insightful.
‘Boys in Kichute’ (2009)
Stream it on Tubi.
Brimming with the energy of the rowdy children who inhabit nearly every scene, this charming coming-of-age tale set in 1970 chronicles how 12-year-old Beto (Lucas Alexandre) falls in love with soccer. He dreams of growing up to become the goalkeeper for Brazil’s national team. However, his father (Werner Schünemann), a rigid, religious man, doesn’t share his enthusiasm for what he thinks is an unrealistic objective. Still, the boy won’t let the adult’s fear hinder him.
‘The Cup’ (2000)
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Few people have gone to greater lengths to watch a soccer match than Orgyen (Jamyang Lodro), the 14-year-old hero of this crowd-pleaser starring real Tibetan monks in exile. Obsessed with the game, the boy convinces the strict older monks in his monastery to let everyone watch the 1998 World Cup final, but to do so he’ll have to bring a television and a satellite dish to their isolated home near the Himalayas.
‘The Damned United’ (2009)
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In a performance laced with humor and determination, Michael Sheen plays Brian Clough, who took over as manager of the Leeds United football club in 1974. Bent on surpassing the achievements of his predecessor, Don Revie, the biting Clough aims to change a team he doesn’t much respect. At the heart of this study of unmeasured ambition is Clough’s friendship with his loyal assistant, Peter Taylor (Timothy Spall).
‘Diamantino’ (2019)
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When a Portuguese soccer star, Diamantino (Carloto Cotta), who bears a close resemblance to the real-life striker Cristiano Ronaldo, plays a match, he imagines himself surrounded not by other players, but by giant fluffy puppies. His childlike innocence makes him an easy target for a far-right political party plotting to clone him in this sci-fi dramedy with sharp social commentary. The kindhearted himbo defies the outdated displays of masculinity expected from male athletes.
‘Dribbling Fate’ (1998)
Stream it on Kanopy.
On Cape Verde, people of all ages play soccer on the beach and in the street. But for the bar owner Mané (Carlos Germano), a former goalkeeper who once got close to glory playing abroad, the regret of what could have been prevents him from enjoying it casually. This low-key drama from a country rarely seen onscreen (and whose World Cup debut was a shocking draw with the powerhouse Spain) follows his efforts to mentor a young man with potential.
‘En el Séptimo Día’ (2018)
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In this graceful neorealist portrait of the immigrant experience, a group of undocumented men from the Mexican state of Puebla find community in New York City, and a respite from work and homesickness, playing soccer every Sunday in a local league. Then an industrious deliveryman (Fernando Cardona) is forced to choose between his job and a final match with his teammates.
‘Escape to Victory’ (1981)
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Sylvester Stallone stars alongside the Brazilian legend Pelé and several other real-life players in this World War II saga directed by John Huston, about prisoners from the Allied forces ordered to play a soccer match against a Nazi team. The star-studded cast of this curious tale, loosely based on facts, includes Michael Caine as the prisoners’ coach, who wonders whether the match is an opportunity to regain freedom or a death sentence.
‘Hermano’ (2012)
Stream it on Tubi or rent it on most major platforms.
Raised together, Julio (Eliú Armas) and Daniel (Fernando Moreno) are not related, yet their brotherhood has been forged on the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, where they have survived violence, and on the soccer field, where they envision a more prosperous future. They are both good enough to attract the attention of a major team; however, following a tragedy, the two must choose between a brighter future or revenge in this gritty, well-acted tale of truncated promise.
‘Mario’ (2018)
Stream it on Tubi or rent it on most major platforms.
In locker rooms and on the field, an atmosphere of testosterone-fueled competitiveness reigns. But a secret romance brews between young players of a Swiss soccer team in this heartfelt drama. The confident Leon (Aaron Altaras), a recent German arrival, and the more introverted Mario (Max Hubacher) have dedicated their lives to the chance of playing professionally, but in an environment still less than friendly to gay men, the relationship threatens their aspirations.
‘Offside’ (2007)
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Forbidden to enter the stadium, several Iranian women sneak in dressed as men to watch a World Cup qualifying match in the master director Jafar Panahi’s movie about everyday defiance under authoritarianism. Many of the women end up in police custody. While dealing with the sexist discrimination the regime enforces, Panahi still makes space for lighthearted moments where the women’s joy, even from a distance, can’t be repressed.
‘Shaolin Soccer’ (2004)
Stream it on Tubi or rent it on most major platforms.
The intentionally cartoonish comedy that the Chinese filmmaker Stephen Chow employs in this mash-up of martial arts and sports makes for a bizarrely enjoyable ride. At its center is the partnership between Fung (Ng Man Tat), a retired soccer player down on his luck, and the Shaolin kung fu master Sing (Chow himself), whose superhuman strength helps score some incredible goals.
‘What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?’ (2021)
Rent it on most major platforms.
Even the dogs in the Georgian city of Kutaisi have their favorite place to watch soccer matches. The sport permeates this delicately whimsical tale about would-be lovers cursed to not recognize each other. A montage of local children joyfully playing soccer in slow motion to the tune of “Un’estate italiana” from the 1990 World Cup in Italy packs life-affirming euphoria.
The post Stream These 14 Great Soccer Movies From Around the World appeared first on New York Times.
