In 2017, an increasing number of soccer movies appeared on Amazon Prime and Netflix, most of them released in the last 3 years. As a result, I reviewed 35 films in 2017 as compared to 20 in 2016.
Of the 35 films, 75% were documentaries, and few had theatrical distribution. Eoin O’Callaghan worked hard to put Celtic Soul, his soccer buddy film with Jay Baruchel, in theaters worldwide.
Here are the best and worst of all the football films reviewed this year. Within a numerical Rating, movies are sorted alphabetically by title.
2017 Best Soccer Films:
My two best films this year both focus on fan supporters groups. TIFOs are Us!
- In Ayaktakimi (2015), Naz Gündogdu and Friedemann Pitschak cover the Turkish government’s use of Passolig, a mandatory Fan ID system, to stifle supporters groups.
- In Save the Crew: The Fans vs The System (2017), Sean Kelly exposes the falsehoods perpetrated by MLS Commissioner Don Garber and MLS owner Anthony Precourt in order to justify the relocation of the Columbus Crew to Austin, Texas.
2017 Worst Soccer Film:
Overall, the films that became easily available to watch this year were generally pretty good. There was only one real stinker, and sadly it is a kids movie.
- Monkey in the Middle (2014), also known as It’s a Zoo in Here is brought to you by a Canadian writer-director aptly named Dyck.
| Title | R | Year | Genre | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayaktakimi | 9 | 2015 | docu | TUR GER |
| Save The Crew: The Fans vs The System | 9 | 2017 | docu | USA |
| The Romanov Revolution | 8 | 2005 | docu | SCO |
| The March of the White Elephants | 8 | 2015 | docu | AUS BRA |
| The People of Nejmeh | 8 | 2015 | docu | FRA LIB |
| Concrete Football (Ballon sur bitume) | 8 | 2016 | docu | FRA |
| Craiova versus craiova | 8 | 2016 | docu | BRA ROU |
| K-9 World Cup | 8 | 2016 | kids | MEX |
| San Bernardino Alive and Kicking | 8 | 2016 | docu | USA |
| Russia’s Hooligan Army | 8 | 2017 | docu | GB |
| Hotshot | 7 | 1987 | drama | USA |
| Laduma! Benin’s Journey | 7 | 2011 | docu | USA, GB |
| Campo de Jogo (Sunday Ball) | 7 | 2014 | docu | BRA |
| Going Pro: American Soccer | 7 | 2014 | docu | USA |
| Jack to a King | 7 | 2014 | docu | GB |
| George Best: All by Himself | 7 | 2016 | docu | ESPN,GB |
| Jules and Dolores | 7 | 2016 | comedy | BRA |
| Les Bleus | 7 | 2016 | docu | FRA |
| The Other Kids | 7 | 2016 | docu | ESP UGA |
| The Streets Don’t Lie | 7 | 2016 | docu | AUT GB |
| Win! | 7 | 2016 | docu | USA |
| Wonderkid | 7 | 2016 | short | GB |
| Gold Stars: The Story of the FIFA World Cup Tournaments | 7 | 2017 | docu | FIFA |
| Men in the Arena | 7 | 2017 | docu | USA |
| Como no te voy a Querer | 6 | 2008 | drama | MEX |
| For the Glory | 6 | 2012 | drama | USA |
| Eighteam | 6 | 2014 | docu | ZAM ESP |
| New Generation Queens | 6 | 2015 | docu | USA ZAN |
| Celtic Soul | 6 | 2016 | docu | CAN IRL |
| Desert Fire | 6 | 2016 | docu | GB Kurd |
| The Nation Holds Its Breath | 6 | 2016 | short | IRL |
| 17 | 6 | 2017 | docu | JOR |
| Meanwhile in Mamelodi | 5 | 2011 | docu | GER RSA |
| The Trophy Thief | 4 | 2015 | short | AUS |
| Monkey in the Middle | 2 | 2014 | kids | CAN |
