REZ BALL Trailer (2024) Jessica Matten, Basketball, Drama Movie

REZ BALL Trailer (2024) Jessica Matten, Basketball, Drama Movie

REZ BALL Trailer (2024) Jessica Matten, Basketball, Drama Movie

REZ BALL Trailer (2024) Jessica Matten, Basketball, Drama Movie
© 2024 - Netflix
“We run fast, we shoot fast and we don’t ever stop,” Heather (Jessica Matten) tells her players on the Chuska Warriors about the style of basketball she’d like to see them play in “Rez Ball.” That directive may take a while to set in with her high school squad, but is director Sydney Freeland’s modus operandi from the jump of her third feature, an almost comically brisk but genuinely rousing underdog story.

The national anthem hasn’t stopped playing over the first game you see the Warriors in before both teams on the floor have reached 40 points. While mirroring the energy on the court, the sense of urgency would seem to come from the opportunity to reenvision the sports drama from the Indigenous perspective. Details such as having “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung in Navajo elevate a serviceable standard of the genre, while streaming on Netflix should actually help it reach a wider audience than a theatrical release might.

Related Stories
A rollercoaster moving down a line chart
VIP+
Disney’s Theme Parks Problem Is a Monster of Its Own Making
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, (aka BEETLEJUICE 2), Michael Keaton, 2024. © Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection
Box Office: 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Tallies $41.5 Million Opening Day — Second Biggest Ever for September
Older audiences will recognize the playbook Freeland and co-writer Sterlin Harjo are working from as the Chuska Warriors become a sum greater than their individual parts. But it is genuinely jarring when the obligatory talk early on about the future between star players Jimmy (Kauchani Bratt) and Nataanii (Kusem Goodwind) looking out into the distance of their home in New Mexico starts with the latter asking the former, “Do you ever think about getting out?” and it’s clear he’s referring to life itself rather than going off to college elsewhere.

Popular on Variety
Despite a height that has him ranked as one of the state’s brightest prep stars, Nataanii is laid low by the death of his mother and sister in a drunk driving accident. After taking his junior year off to grieve, he ends up not suiting up for his senior year either when he follows through on his suicidal thoughts. A team that was thought to contend for a championship is left in disarray with a coach who already wanted to be anywhere else, despite being considered a hometown hero after playing for the WNBA.

Speed doesn’t necessarily serve “Rez Ball” well all the time when it could seem a bit blasé or insensitive that grief over Nataanii doesn’t appear to last long and serious issues in the Native community, such as alcoholism, are raised without much introspection. Jimmy’s mother Gloria (Julia Jones), who’s in recovery, won’t come to his games yet appears well-spoken and reasonably well put-together at all times to serve the plot without weighing things down. Then again, this could also be seen as a repudiation of trauma-filled films that generally emerge from the reservation. In a sports story where there’s a certain formula that audiences know already, these narrative shortcuts feel like a blessing as far as pace is concerned. Considering all you really need to know is that there’s adversity to overcome, it becomes a joy to watch the Warriors when these challenges are a bit different.

Before the announcers can talk about players that go together like frybread and powdered sugar, Jimmy and Heather must become leaders in spite of a history where they’ve always felt second class. Soon the team is practicing by herding sheep on her grandmother’s land and cleansing their spirits with traditional ceremonies before shooting hoops. With the film’s narrative efficiency active at all times, Jimmy’s inspired idea to call plays in Navajo to prevent other teams from knowing what the team will do leads him to finally start talking to his attractive co-worker (Zoey Reyes) at the burger stand when she could help teach him the language.

Although “Rez Ball” plays a bit differently from other basketball stories, it takes great pains to look like every contemporary one that was made at a studio level, a mildly transgressive act when life on the reservation is typically filtered through a grittier lens. Cinematographer Kira Kelly is working with a sleek Alexa 35 and clearly has the equipment — and the eye — to keep up with the action. Even when the film inevitably arrives at the big game at the end, it never feels like it broke a sweat to get there.

Freeland and Harjo inject enough humor and heart to pierce through the gloss. When the finale revolves around a second matchup with Santa Fe Catholic, a team that blew out the Warriors earlier in the season, it can be amusing to think that cultural appropriation is actually working for the Indigenous community in this case — a spin on how that trope is typically handled in sports movies. While those films are meant to entertain all audiences, “Rez Ball” actually succeeds in making the enjoyment even broader.

Read More About:
Rez Ball, Sydney Freeland, Toronto Film Festival
Jump to Comments
‘Rez Ball’ Review: Sydney Freeland’s Brisk Basketball Drama Takes a Fast Break From Tradition
Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations), Sept. 9, 2024. Running time: 111 MIN.
Production: A Netflix release and presentation of a Springhill Co., Lake Ellyn production, in association with Wise Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment. Producers: Katie Elmore, Maurício Mota, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, LeBron James, Nancy Utley. Executive producers: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, D. Scott Lumpkin, Maverick Carter, Jodi Archambault.
Crew: Director: Sydney Freeland. Screenplay: Sydney Freeland, Sterling Harjo. Camera: Kira Kelly. Editor: Jessica Baclesse. Music: Dan Deacon.
With: Jessica Matten, Kauchani Bratt, Amber Midthunder, Cody Lightning, Dallas Goldtooth, Ernest David Tsosie, Kusem Goodwind, Zoey Reyes, Julia Jones.
Rez Ball' Trailer: Watch the Official Trailer from English web series 'Rez Ball' starring Kauchani Bratt, Jessica Matten, Devin Sampson-Craig and Amber Midthunder. 'Rez Ball' web series is directed by Sydney Freeland. To know more about the 'Rez Ball' trailer watch the video. Check out the latest English trailers, new web series trailers, trending English web series trailers, Kauchani Bratt movies, Jessica Matten movies, Devin Sampson-Craig movies, and Amber Midthunder videos at ETimes - Times of India Entertainment.

Share
Continue On App
Related
Lonely Planet Trailer: Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth and Diana Silvers Starrer Lonely Planet Official Trailer
02:16
Lonely Planet Trailer: Laura Dern, Liam Hemsworth and Diana Silvers Starrer Lonely Planet Official Trailer
House Of Spoils Trailer: Marton Csokas, Ariana DeBose and Barbie Ferreira Starrer House Of Spoils Official Trailer
02:38
House Of Spoils Trailer: Marton Csokas, Ariana DeBose and Barbie Ferreira Starrer House Of Spoils Official Trailer
Citadel- Diana Trailer: Matilda De Angelis, Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi Starrer Citadel - Diana Official Trailer
02:13
Citadel- Diana Trailer: Matilda De Angelis, Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi Starrer Citadel - Diana Official Trailer
'Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Trailer: Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny starrer 'Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Official Trailer
02:44
'Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Trailer: Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny starrer 'Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story' Official Trailer
'It's What's Inside' Trailer: Brittany O'Grady and James Morosini starrer 'It's What's Inside' Official Trailer
02:35
'It's What's Inside' Trailer: Brittany O'Grady and James Morosini starrer 'It's What's Inside' Official Trailer
Hold Your Breath: Official Trailer
02:27
Hold Your Breath: Official Trailer
'In Vogue: The 90s' Trailer: Nicole Kidman and Claire Danes starrer 'In Vogue: The 90s' Official Trailer
01:16
'In Vogue: The 90s' Trailer: Nicole Kidman and Claire Danes starrer 'In Vogue: The 90s' Official Trailer
Landman : Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Ali Larter Starrer Landman Official Trailer
01:56
Landman : Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Ali Larter Starrer Landman Official Trailer
The Diplomat Season 2: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell And David Gyasi Starrer The Diplomat Season 2 Official Teaser
00:54
The Diplomat Season 2: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell And David Gyasi Starrer The Diplomat Season 2 Official Teaser
Will & Harper: Will Ferrell And Harper Steele Starrer Will & Harper Official Trailer
02:49
Will & Harper: Will Ferrell And Harper Steele Starrer Will & Harper Official Trailer
Mr. McMahon : Vince McMahon Starrer Mr. McMahon Official Trailer
02:19
Mr. McMahon : Vince McMahon Starrer Mr. McMahon Official Trailer
'Arcane: Season 2' Trailer: Hailee Steinfeld and Katie Leung starrer 'Arcane: Season 2' Official Trailer
02:21
'Arcane: Season 2' Trailer: Hailee Steinfeld and Katie Leung starrer 'Arcane: Season 2' Official Trailer
Chef's Table: Noodles Trailer - Evan Funke, Peppe Guida and Guirong Wei Starrer Chef's Table: Noodles Official Trailer
02:16
Chef's Table: Noodles Trailer - Evan Funke, Peppe Guida and Guirong Wei Starrer Chef's Table: Noodles Official Trailer
Beyond Black Beauty : Kaya Coleman, Lisa Berry and Akiel Julien Starrer Beyond Black Beauty Official Trailer
02:13
Beyond Black Beauty : Kaya Coleman, Lisa Berry and Akiel Julien Starrer Beyond Black Beauty Official Trailer
A Very Royal Scandal : Michael Sheen, Ruth Wilson and Ian Hughes Starrer A Very Royal Scandal Official Trailer
02:37
A Very Royal Scandal : Michael Sheen, Ruth Wilson and Ian Hughes Starrer A Very Royal Scandal Official Trailer
Rez Ball is a 2024 American sports drama film directed by Sydney Freeland, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sterlin Harjo, based on the nonfiction sports novel Canyon Dreams, by The New York Times journalist Michael Powell. LeBron James serves as a producer. The film is set to feature an ensemble cast, including Jessica Matten, Julia Jones, Amber Midthunder, and Kiowa Gordon.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and is scheduled to be released on Netflix on September 27, 2024.

Synopsis
The Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico, are competing for the state championship title but lose their star player.[1][2]

Cast
Jessica Matten
Julia Jones
Amber Midthunder
Kiowa Gordon
Dallas Goldtooth
Cody Lightning
Ernest Tsosie
Kauchani Bratt
Devin Sampson-Craig
River Rayne Thomas
Jojo Jackson
Avery Hale
Hunter Redhorse Arthur
Henry Wilson Jr
Jaren K. Robledo
Damian Henry Castellan
Kusem Goodwind
Zoey Reyes
Production
Sydney Freeland was announced as director of the project for Netflix in August 2021. Freeland and Sterlin Harjo had written the script inspired by Michael Powell's nonfiction sports novel Canyon Dreams (2019). The project was produced by Wise Entertainment with Maurício and Katie Mota involved.[3] That same month LeBron James and Maverick Carter were announced to have joined the project as producers via The SpringHill Company with Spencer Beighley and Jamal Henderson executive producers for SpringHill.[4]

Filming
In April 2023, Deadline Hollywood reported that principal photography was underway and taking place in New Mexico with filming on the Navajo Nation, with the permission and support of the local sovereign tribal nations.[5]

Release
Rez Ball premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024,[6][7] and is scheduled to be released on Netflix on September 27, 2024.[8]

Sydney Freeland’s “Rez Ball” is the perfect crowd-pleaser, blending drama, comedy and the excitement of competitive basketball into a slick and heartfelt package. Ten years after her Sundance debut “Drunktown’s Finest,” the writer-directed returns to her roots with this inspiring story of a Native high school basketball team trying to make it all the way to the championship. Like her first film, “Rez Ball” takes place on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico where opportunities are scarce and morale is low. Freeland and co-writer Sterlin Harjo deftly blend the often difficult truths of life on the reservation with an optimistic tone rooted in the continued resilience of the Navajo people.

Related Stories
Richard Kind
Richard Kind Will Gladly ‘Whore’ Himself Out for Your Low-Budget Film: ‘I’ll Pretty Much Take 93 Percent of Jobs’
Randall Miller
‘Midnight Rider’ Director Randall Miller, Convicted in Fatal 2014 On-Set Accident, Receives $1.5 Million Tax Credit from California for New Indie Feature
Made in collaboration with the Navajo Nation Government on location in New Mexico, “Rez Ball” takes the time to show viewers the beauty of the land and its people. The film, based on author Michael Powell’s nonfiction sports novel “Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation,” centers on Jimmy Holiday (played by newcomer Kauchani Bratt), who becomes captain of his high school basketball team — the Chuska Warriors — and tries to lead them to victory. But after the tragic death of his best friend and teammate Nataanii (Kusem Goodwind), Jimmy’s spirits are low. Complicating matters is his mother Gloria (Julia Jones), who struggles with alcoholism and takes out her frustration with life on her son. Still, Jimmy’s coach Heather (Jessica Matten) believes in his ability to lead, recruiting Benny Begay (Ernest David Tsosie) as assistant coach to help the team use their Native roots to work together better on the court. Once they stop playing regular basketball and start playing “rez ball,” they have a fighting chance.

Coach Heather and Jimmy’s mother Gloria are like two sides of the same coin: both were Warriors in high school and had a chance to go pro, but Gloria walked away from basketball while Heather can’t seem to quit it. She has to believe that there’s a future for the boys on the team, and for herself as well. Stuck between the two, Jimmy must decide if he wants to risk failure or settle into defeat. His mother believes that losing is inevitable, and that they were born with it in their blood. Logically, Jimmy knows that can’t be true, but with Nataanii gone it’s hard to be optimistic. Like many in their community, Nataanii took his own life, as he was unable to cope with the trauma of losing his sister and mother years earlier. Everyone on the reservation seems to have something they’re trying to get over, like a generational weight on their shoulders. Though Gloria doesn’t mean to step on her son’s dreams, she can’t bring herself to encourage him. Instead of villainizing Gloria, “Rez Ball” portrays her as a woman beaten down by life trying to figure out how to get her footing in the world again. As her son comes of age, Gloria slowly comes into her own as a parent.

The best scenes in “Rez Ball” are about teamwork. In one fun set piece, the Warriors are tasked with herding sheep on a ranch as their coaches look on with amusement. On the court, Jimmy and his teammates try to let everything go and live in the moment. The playful and kinetic basketball scenes are plentiful in “Rez Ball,” with its young Native actors having a lot of fun on the court. In another standout sequence, the boys take on the girls team – who pummel them with insults along with their skills – and yell in disbelief as they lose. Though it’s a glass battle of the sexes, there’s something so joyful about seeing a group of Native girls take up space on the court, reminding us that it’s not all about the boys; the girls have an underdog story of their own, we just haven’t seen it yet.

As the film goes on, the games become more and more intense, slowly building to the final showdown between the Warriors and their biggest rivals, a pointedly white-dominated team from Santa Fe. Basketball is a naturally cinematic sport and cinematographer Kira Kelly keeps the focus on the players and their efforts to work together, using the Navajo language to communicate with each other so the rival teams don’t catch on to their strategy. By reclaiming their culture, the team feels a renewed sense of purpose and pride in who they are and where they came from. Soon, it’s about more than just winning – these boys want to give their community something to believe in.

Maintaining a feel-good tone without becoming saccharine, “Rez Ball” is a charmer with enough of an edge to keep viewers on their toes. Matten is a compelling coach figure, with both kind energy and a steely sense of determination. Newcomer Bratt is funny and charming, revealing more and more charisma every scene. He even gets a little love story that weaves in nicely with the themes of cultural connection and embracing vulnerability as a form of strength. Freeland excels at getting realistic performances from her young actors, whose rawness lends to the inspiring feelings invoked by the film. It’s hard to be cynical watching all these talented young men play around on and off the court. “Rez Ball” is the kind of film that makes one optimistic about the future, even if only for the length of a game.

Grade: B+
“Rez Ball” premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It will be available to stream on Netflix starting Friday, September 27.

Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts? Subscribe here to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best reviews, streaming picks, and offers some new musings, all only available to subscribers.