Rez Ball

"A pretty good sports drama. While the name and a few of the scenes are based on a nonfiction book, all the characters and the story are by star on the rise writer/director Sydney Freeland. There’s some gripes. Too many cliches, some cringy dialog and it gets a little cheesy. But the pros make it worth it. The MC actor is adorable. The actual basketball play is legit (the exception) and is captured by beautiful direction. I really enjoyed how the movie depicts reservation life completely different, while still keeping an edge, than how it’s portrayed in most media. And, they got an all time sports villain, Mason Troy. "

"Definitely entertaining, even though the concept isn't super fresh (underdog sports story), it being told through a different cultural lens provides new angles and details for the story to move with. One of my favorite things about the movie was - of course hearing another language mixed in, in this case Navajo - but also the basketball scenes! They actually let you watch them play, and not just a couple of times for action shots or just the zoom in on the ball two inches from the hoop. I admittedly would keep forgetting this was a movie and not a 100% accurate retelling of a true story. That's not to say this is just for sports fans, I never watch basketball in my free time (but I can still appreciate the game). Anyway, 8.5/10 🏀"

"Most unrealistic part of the movie was the guys wearing their basketball shoes outside. If you hoop then you know that’s sacrilegious. Regardless, this was an incredible basketball film. It’s inspirational, emotional, and cheesy but I love it. All the performances were great. The actors could actually play. I played high school and college basketball and the basketball felt authentic. Even the basketball jargon was used correctly."