Going straight to the point, Rez Ball is your classic sports movie. It follows the underdog formula, hitting all the familiar beats you’d expect: there’s the rival team with the arrogant star, a struggling team that finds its rhythm, and a climactic final game showdown. Out of the three sports films at TIFF 2024 (The Fire Inside and Unstoppable being the others), this one plays it the safest. The standout element here is that the team, the Chuska Warriors, is made up of Native American players. Sometimes you just want comfort food, and in that sense, Rez Ball serves up a reliable, feel-good experience.
Executive-produced by NBA superstar LeBron James, the film centers on the Chuska Warriors as they struggle to rebound after losing their star player in a tragic event. Now leading the team is Nataanii Jackson, played with charisma by Kusem Goodwind, who has to find his footing both on and off the court to help his team out of a slump.
The story ticks off a lot of classic sports-drama tropes: Nataanii has a mother grappling with alcoholism, the coach faces sexism and her own personal issues, team members doubt Nataanii’s new role as captain, and the main rivals have an antagonistic star. If you’ve seen a few sports dramas, you’ll probably guess where each of these plot lines is headed.
For what it is, though, the film is well-crafted. Basketball’s fast pace and clear scoring make it an ideal sport to bring to the screen, and the cast brings charm to their roles. The film thankfully doesn’t linger too long on the team’s lowest points, keeping the momentum going. It shines most in moments where it moves away from the court and briefly touches on Native American culture, though these elements remain a bit surface-level. Rez Ball may not go deep, but it’s an easy, uplifting watch for fans of feel-good sports stories.
- Where to watch
Netflix- Where to watch
- Netflix
Play trailer
- Original title
- Rez Ball
- Director
- Sydney Freeland
- Genre
- Drama
- Cast
- Jessica Matten, Kauchani Bratt, Amber Midthunder, Julia Jones, Cody Lightning, Dallas Goldtooth, Ernest Tsosie III, Zoey Reyes
- Rated
- PG-13
- Screenwriter
- Sydney Freeland, Sterlin Harjo
- Composer
- Dan Deacon
- Cinematography
- Kira Kelly
- Editor
- Jessica Baclesse
- Country
- Language
- English