America is the leader of the free world, the director of Westernized society for now. In a country that has experienced its fair share of controversy in recent years (clears throat… Trump), it’s refreshing to reflect on the positives. From the picturesque national parks, the vast amalgamation of cultures, and delectable delicacies that go far beyond ribs, burgers, and shakes, to the openness of its people, its world-leading film industry, and of course, its vast array of national sports.
Arguably, the only negative about the aforementioned nation is the continued insistence on calling the world game of football, “soccer.” With the USMNT due to feature at the 2022 FIFA World Cup which is just weeks away from commencing at time of writing, and with North America set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, what better way to preview it than by taking a look at the best movies on… Soccer…
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Shaolin Soccer
Universe Entertainment
Shaolin Soccer is a Hong Kong action comedy movie directed by Stephen Chow, that presents the typical sports underdog story of a group of friends who form a football club, the Shaolin Soccer Team, who are to meet the aptly named Team Evil in a one-off match. This is a film that is arguably rather preposterous, but it is entertaining nevertheless, as the players in the game combine their footballing ability with their grasp of martial arts in this weird, wacky, gravity-defying version of football.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 Green Street Hooligans
Universal Pictures
In Europe, and in particular, England, football is an infamously tribal sport. It’s a game that is hotly contested on and off the field of play. The 70s and 80s gave birth to football hooliganism, where football “firms” would fight each other, and violence and disorder would ensue. Green Street Hooligans, starring Charlie Hunnam and Elijah Wood details the football hooligan culture within West Ham United Football Club’s notorious firm, the GSE (Green Street Elite).
The film tells the story of their various run-ins with rivals, told predominantly from the perspective of the American visitor and journalist, Matt Buckner (Elijah Wood), who joins up with Pete (Hunnam) and his crack group of hoodlums after being wrongfully kicked out of Harvard. Green Street is a fun movie, that despite not being host to particularly awe-inspiring acting, at least serves as a reminder of an issue that still plagues the sport in the UK at present, and that Charlie Hunnam’s cockney accent is arguably as bad as Don Cheadle’s in Ocean’s Twelve.
4 Offside
Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Jafar Panahi, the Iranian picture Offside, like that of Bend It Like Beckham, confronts the issue of gender disparity in Iran. It is well-documented that even in 2022, women in Iran are often refused entry to men’s sporting events. This Persian language film holds the powers that be to account, as a group of Iranian girls dress as men and try their luck at gaining access to a football stadium. The girls must go undetected, as any uncovering could result in their arrest. The fact that in the 21st century, women aren’t allowed to watch men’s sports in person in some countries in the name of unbending religious beliefs is farcical, and Offside makes a stand against this.
3 Bend It Like Beckham
Fox Searchlight PicturesHelkon SK
A movie that took its name from how the great David Beckham used to curl his free kicks. Bend It Like Beckham is a charming tale of self-discovery and challenging the status quo. The British-Asian girl Jess (Parminder Nagra) wants to pursue her dream of playing football, but due to her strict, traditionalist parents, as a girl, she is expected to find a respectable man and essentially become a housewife. Starring Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the film addresses archaic stereotypes and empowers women in the process. It confronts the issue particular cultures have with homosexuality and deviation from considered societal norms.
2 Looking For Eric
Icon Film Distribution
Starring ex-Manchester United cult hero Eric Cantona, known for his flair on the football pitch and his ill-famed temper (which saw him fly-kick a fan in the face), Ken Loach’s movie Looking For Eric follows the story of Eric Bishop (Steve Evets), a die-hard Manchester United fan whose life gradually begins to fall apart after his wife leaves him.
After a marijuana-induced epiphany, Eric, with the help of his idol Eric Cantona and his daughter, attempts to get his life back on track. This is an eccentrically offbeat movie, and somewhat of a departure from the grit-soaked realism Ken Loach has become so renowned for producing.
1 The Damned United
Sony Pictures Releasing
Brian Clough was an enigmatic pioneer of English football. Once a professional footballer himself, he began plying his managerial trade in the lower echelons of the English football pyramid at Hartlepool United and Derby County. The Damned United documents Clough’s rise as a relative footballing minnow, to guiding Derby County to becoming champions of England, before taking the poisoned chalice that was the infamously celebrated, Leeds United.
Frost/Nixon actor Michael Sheen puts in a typically brilliant imitation of the incredibly distinctive Clough. The Damned United is a true story of footballing heritage, that is not only a demonstration of what can be achieved through an unwavering mentality of self-belief, but also is testament to the power of man-management and the ability to be a leader of men.
