The Beautiful Game

PG-13

Released Mar 25

2h 4m

Drama

Sports

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List

85%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

67%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Mal (Bill Nighy, Living, About Time) is the manager of England's homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street soccer tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker Vinny (Micheal Ward, Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence), who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he's ready to let go of his past and become part of the team. Made with the support of the Homeless World Cup,The Beautiful Game is a film of second chances -- where homeless teams from around the world find that all roads lead to Rome, and everything's to play for.

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Critics Consensus

The Beautiful Game has an undeniable warmth that further elevates an already irresistible true story, helping this inspirational drama score despite a reliance on well-worn clichés.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

There's hardly anything in “The Beautiful Game” that audiences have not seen a thousand times before. And that's unfortunate, because the Homeless World Cup has dramatic potential that transcends the underdog story archetype.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 8, 2024

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

I love this movie. It's as ordinary as the dirt you play soccer on, but I don't care. It's fantastic.

Apr 5, 2024

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Hollywood Reporter

The film rolls along smoothly like many a British sitcom, finding its humor largely in mild embarrassment, ironic understatement and well-rehearsed comic timing.

Mar 29, 2024

Full Review

James Marsh

South China Morning Post

The Beautiful Game sets out to make a breezy, entertaining and uplifting film about the unifying power of team sports, while shying away from the darker recesses of its characters’ predicaments.

Rated: 3/5

May 9, 2024

Full Review

Emma Donnelly

Film Ireland Magazine

The plot isn’t as blindly predictable as one might expect, and as the characters warmly bicker and banter, their issues carry real weight -- that pay off in the second half.

May 2, 2024

Full Review

Pablo O. Scholz

Clarín

The Beautiful Game is an entertaining film that combines the game's adrenaline with more inspiring themes and leaves us with a satisfied expression. It's no small feat. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3/4

May 1, 2024

Full Review

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Douglas B

I agree with the critics; a lot of warmth in this one. I'm a huge Bill Nighy fan; I doubt he's ever made a bad movie. But it's unusual to see him a little less acerbic than his usual self. And it's a rare role in which he doesn't wear a tie (even for a scene or two). Could have been a bit shorter and a few developments were fairly predictable but all in all I definitely enjoyed it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved this film greatly.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/24

Full Review

M L

Though the story is fictional, the Homeless World Cup is a transformative, inspiring, real event, didn't even know it existed. How can you not be moved by the story of the cup and how it has changed the lives of millions of homeless people? Sometimes we need to look past people's situations and see the value of each individual. Loved the movie .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/24

Full Review

Lloyd S

The boring game......

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/24

Full Review

Peter K

A bit choppy at times but the message gets through: there is always the possibility of human 'redemption'!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/11/24

Full Review

Mike W

The movie was enjoyable without all the boring special effects so often seen on other movies. Also absent were guns, weapons and violence. The story was uplifting.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/05/24

Full Review

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Thea Sharrock

Director

Bill Nighy

Mal

Susan Wokoma

Protasia

Callum Scott Howells

Nathan

Kit Young

Cal

Sheyi Cole

Jason

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The Beautiful Game: Trailer

2:17

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Synopsis

Mal (Bill Nighy, Living, About Time) is the manager of England's homeless football team, taking his players to Rome with the hope of being crowned champions of the Homeless World Cup, a global street soccer tournament. At the last minute he decides to bring with them a talented striker Vinny (Micheal Ward, Empire of Light, The Book of Clarence), who could give them a real chance at winning, but only if he's ready to let go of his past and become part of the team. Made with the support of the Homeless World Cup,The Beautiful Game is a film of second chances -- where homeless teams from around the world find that all roads lead to Rome, and everything's to play for.

Director: Thea Sharrock
Producer: Graham Broadbent, Peter Czernin, Colin Farrell, Ben Knight, Anita Overland
Screenwriter: Frank Cottrell Boyce
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Blueprint Pictures, Wildside, Film4
Rating: PG-13 (Some Language|A Suggestive Reference|Drug Reference|Brief Partial Nudity)
Genre: Drama, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2024
Runtime: 2h 4m

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