After making a name for herself in episodic television, director Sydney Freeland jumps to features in “Rez Ball” from Netflix. Freeland also pens the film’s screenplay, which takes inspiration from Michael Powell’s book “Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation“.
Former WNBA player Heather Hobbs (Jessica Matten) has returned to her hometown of Chuska, New Mexico, to coach the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage. The team is led by star player Natanni Jackson (Kusem Goodwind) and his second-in-command, Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt). While Jimmy is a hot shot on the court, he’s still grieving following the death of his mother and a younger sister a year earlier at the hands of a drunk driver. Despite his inner turmoil, Natanni carries the team to a victory during its season opener.
The storyline takes a dramatic twist as Natanni tragically takes his own life, leaving Jimmy grappling with the weight of becoming the new team captain amid the team’s grief. Coach Hobbs is tasked with finding effective ways to support and guide the boys through their sorrow while striving to lead them to a victorious state championship.
“Rez Ball” is a film that most viewers have seen before. Following the loss of the star player, the team struggles to adjust. They go on a losing streak, have internal fighting, and eventually come together with a simplistic team-building exercise. However, the film’s message of resilience and unity essentially glides through when it focuses on Native American culture. One aspect I enjoyed about the basketball scenes in the movie is the use of their native language to call plays, making it difficult for the opposing teams to follow.
Primarily, the meat of the film’s acting goes to Jessica Matten and Kauchani Bratt, carrying the bulk of the film’s weight. Matten has a storyline about wanting to move, like Jimmy has a love interest story with his coworker Krista (Zoey Reyes), who also tutors him in the Navaho dialect. No, on the one hand, this is an ensemble case, so I didn’t expect everyone to get a storyline. However, high school basketball films such as “Coach Carter” were able to balance out the storylines between the players. It’s also surprising that rising actress Amber Midhunter is neglected to a clichéd girlfriend while the usually reliable Julia Jones, who portrays Jimmy’s recovering alcoholic mother, doesn’t have much to do.
Nevertheless, they succeeded if the “Rez Ball” goal was to provide a good old-fashioned crowd pleaser.
Final Grade: B
“Rez Ball” will be released on Netflix on Friday, September 27, 2024.
Martial arts auteur Siyu Cheng delivers his latest action-packed fest in “The Tai Chi Master” from Well Go USA. The Tai Chi Master” examines the journey of Zhang Junbao, a dedicated disciple of Wuji, who emerges as a crucial figure during significant upheaval.
On a musical level, the documentary is a library of Williams’ great works. It’s dramatic performances of his most famous songs, such as the classic “Star Wars” marches, the grand piano music from “Jurassic Park,” and the melancholy music from “Schindler’s List.” Each song is part of a narrative, a call to revisit old films and remember their heart-wrenching connections. Its thrilling finale (which celebrated his work on “Harry Potter”) also underscores the longevity of his music among audiences today.
Megan Fox teams up with director S.K. Dale to bring her feminine wiles to the world of A.I. in “Subservience” from XYZ Films. Will Honley and April Maguire wrote the film’s screenplay. Alice (Fox) is a lifelike, artificially intelligent android who can care for any family and home. Looking for help with the housework, struggling father Nick (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice after his wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) becomes sick. Alice suddenly becomes self-aware and wants everything her new family has to offer, starting with the affection of her owner — and she’ll kill to get it.