For Rez Ball, a new 2024 film on Netflix that’s produced by LeBron James and directed by Sydney Freeland, basketball is more than just a sport: it’s a way of life.
The film explores the life of an Indigenous high school basketball in New Mexico and its culture. While Rez Ball does a good job of capturing the emotion and spirit of the game of basketball, the question remains: did it do enough to set itself a part from the wide variety of sports-underdog dramas?
At its core, Rez Ball surrounds an underdog team, the heartbreak of loss and the fight for a redemption story. It centres around the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team striving to face challenges head-on for a chance at the state championship. At the same time, the players also deal with conflict such as internal challenges, external forces and taking on the responsibility of their community.
What makes Rez Ball different is how the film portrays its culture directly in the plot. The Navajo and Pueblo heritage is more than just a part of the setting, but rather a very key aspect of the story.
The connection of basketball and self-identity is very powerful, which Freeland makes sure remains at the heart and centre of the film. The conversations, the scenes, and even the subtle things such as people mingling after a game, highlight the important messaging of the story.
That cast is predominantly young and does a pretty good job, particularly the character Jimmy Holiday, who is a senior who performs well in his role. The bond he shares with his teammates and the ability to empathize with him after his loss adds an emotional element to the film. Additionally, the atmosphere during the basketball games feels more ‘authentic’, which isn’t easy to do with staged sporting movies. And speaking of authentic, each key character who played an important role in the movie, each has their own tribal affiliation, making their authentic Indigenous background shine through, adding to the real authentic feel of the film.
That being said, the screenplay follows familiar sports movie tropes, including the authoritative coach, exemplified by Heather Hobbs, the underdog protagonist, and the classic underdog team—the Chuska Warriors—overcoming adversity and predictably winning the state championship. While none of the other aspects necessarily stand out in execution, they are fairly well done overall.
The film’s best feature, capturing Rez Ball’s fast-paced scenes, is where the movie does its best work. The mix of film shoots during the fast-paced basketball practices makes the viewers feel as if they were right there and were on the court and playing. Also, the variety of different landscapes, like the desert for practices or the “sheep camp” scene, being intertwined with other landscapes like the jam-packed gymnasium, further shows Rez Ball’s focus on the community aspect, versus individuals.
So in terms of an emotional appeal to the audience, Rez Ball is definitely strong. The highlight of coach Hobbs’ being stressed out throughout not only the games and practices, but things like her sleep, shows the film’s ability to take in the different factors which could put stress on young Indigenous sports figures.
In conclusion, it’s fair to say Rez Ball isn’t a groundbreaking sports movie in terms of the way the film is layed out structurally. However, it’s definitely a meaningful film with a different lens.
If you’re looking for a movie with a different perspective on an underdog story, the film’s actors being Indigenous and the different perspective makes it worth a watch.
However, if you’re hoping for a sports movie that stays away from traditional storylines in sports movies and how they conclude, this movie might end up feeling like a similar watch that you’ve seen before.
Rez Ball is available to stream on Netflix if you’d like to give it a watch for yourself.