The Beautiful Game (2024 film)

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The Beautiful Game
Release poster
Directed byThea Sharrock
Written byFrank Cottrell-Boyce
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMike Eley
Edited byFernando Stutz
Music byAdem Ilhan
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • 29 March 2024 (2024-03-29)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Beautiful Game is a 2024 British sports drama film directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The film stars Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward.

The squad of English homeless footballers, including the talented but troubled striker Vinny, are led by their coach Mal, to compete in Rome at the global annual football tournament, the Homeless World Cup.[1]

It was released by Netflix on 29 March 2024.

Plot[edit]

Former youth football trainer Mal Bradley catches Vinny watching, then intercepting the ball during a youth training session. Saving him from an angry parent, he introduces him to his 'dream team'.

Unimpressed by the adult footballers, Vinny easily scores against their goalkeeper. The squad tell him they are training to compete in Rome at a global annual football tournament. Mal invites Vinny to a meal after training.

Sitting in the canteen, first Mal reminds everyone they must register before 6 if they need a bed, then explains the make up for the matches. When Vinny realises they are talking about the Homeless World Cup, he insists he doesn't qualify and leaves.

Mal follows Vinny out to his car, where he's likely been living. Recognizing he's too proud to talk about his hardship, he gives him his card and leaves. Vinny is troubled, regularly having flashbacks to his brief professional football career at West Ham and when he was on the youth team.

In the present, Vinny goes to the logistics company where he sometimes works, but is turned away. He goes to see his young daughter Evie in the park, who invites him to a school special assembly, where she's set to talk about someone she admires. His ex tells him to tell Evie if he won't make it, even a lie. Vinny says he'll be in Rome.

Soon the team heads to Rome, including Vinny. As they arrive to the opening ceremony, he can see it's a truly international event. As the team is assigned rooms, Vinny is assigned to be with Nathan. When he discovers he takes methadone, he freaks out that he used to be a heroin addict.


The squad of English homeless footballers, including the talented but troubled striker Vinny, are led by their coach Mal, to compete in Rome at the global annual football tournament, the Homeless World Cup.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

A previous iteration of the script was set up at Fox Searchlight Pictures, with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson attached. Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward were confirmed as the leads in August 2021. Film4 helped develop the film. Producers on the project are Blueprint Pictures' Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin with Anita Overland. Ben Knight and Diarmuid McKeown serve as executive producers alongside Ollie Madden and Daniel Battsek of Film4.[2]

The production worked closely with the Homeless World Cup Foundation on the film.[3] Frank Cottrell-Boyce met many participants in the Homeless World Cup and developed characters for the film from their stories, which was originally set to film in 2012 and for Cottrell-Boyce was an eleven year project.[4][5] Principal photography took place in Rome and London in August 2021.[6][7] The film used extras who had participated in real tournaments and are now no longer homeless which Bill Nighy described to the BBC as "a very sweet bit of symmetry."[8]

Release[edit]

The Beautiful Game was released by Netflix on 29 March 2024.[9]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Beautiful Game holds an approval rating of 91% based on 23 reviews as of 30 March 2024.[10]

Guy Lodge for Variety describes Ward's “darting, restless screen energy pleasingly complements Nighy’s signature laid-back roguishness", but felt that the script has "more subplots and topical issues than it can meaningfully develop."[11] Fionnuala Halligan for Screen Daily said that the discussion of mental health issues "distinguishes it from the rest of the field", and that the film "demonstrates that Micheal Ward is a leading man", but felt that the running time of over two hours was too long.[12]

Brazilian journalist Eric Filardi, from the website Esportelândia, found at least 17 references to real-life football in the work. References ranging from Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff and David Beckham to Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona, Raphinha, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. The Brazilian journalist also found a real-life defeat portrayed in the film: a 5 x 2 by the English team over Portugal in 1951. In its review, the website praises the film, despite believing that the script could be better explored in a series.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ White, James (13 August 2021). "Bill Nighy & Micheal Ward Starring In The Beautiful Game". Empire.
  2. ^ Grater, Tom (3 August 2021). "Micheal Ward & Bill Nighy Starring In Soccer Pic 'The Beautiful Game' For Netflix & Blueprint". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. ^ "HOMELESS WORLD CUP INSPIRE NEW NETFLIX FILM". HomelessWorldCup.org. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  4. ^ Rustin, Susanna (26 October 2012). "A life in writing: Frank Cottrell Boyce". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Frank Cottrell–Boyce on wonder, forgiveness and the writer's calling". Theosthinkthank. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Thea Sharrock prepping football flick The Beautiful Game". cineuropa.org. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  7. ^ Jones, Tony (3 August 2021). "The Beautiful Game — new film focusses on the Homeless World Cup". Cultbox.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  8. ^ Rufo, Yasmin (28 March 2024). "The Beautiful Game: Bill Nighy stars in film about tackling homelessness through football". BBC News. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  9. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (16 January 2024). "Netflix Reveals Global Release Date & First Look For Homeless World Cup Movie 'The Beautiful Game' Starring Bill Nighy & Micheal Ward". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  10. ^ "The Beautiful Game". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ^ Lodge, Guy (21 March 2024). "'The Beautiful Game' Review: Bill Nighy Gives Micheal Ward a Sporting Chance in a Spirited Soccer Drama". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  12. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala. "The Beauriful Game review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Jogo Bonito (Netflix): 17 referências reais no filme que você não percebeu". www.esportelandia.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.

External links[edit]

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