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REZ BALL

Starring: Jessica Matten, Kauchani Bratt, Amber Midthunder, Zoey Reyes, Julia Jones, Kusem Goodwind, Ernest Tsosie III, Dallas Goldtooth, and Cody Lightning
Director: Sydney Freeland

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NICK

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For a film about basketball, it’s the sporting elements that fail Rez Ball. The in-game action lacks gritty intensity, so they come across more like a glossy High School Musical scene over something with the weight the story requires. In fact, the film as a whole feels very Disney Channel Original Movie, from the performances to the look and feel. When it delves into the Navajo culture and its people, the film is at its strongest, but those moments happen too infrequently. The focus here is basketball, and when you can’t equal your contemporaries, let alone surpass them on that front, that’s a problem.

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KATIE

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The strengths of Rez Ball lie in its cultural specificity and representation of the community, but its hindered by its amateurish performances and TV movie feel. The more interesting parts of the film that focus on Native American culture feel overshadowed by the weaker dramatic subplots, and the cast struggle to convey the intense emotion needed for them to succeed. The runtime is overlong, and the pacing was surprisingly uneven considering that the basketball games should have injected some energy and excitement into the film. Nonetheless, Rez Ball is overall an easy watch with a lot of heart and a feel-good finish.

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This film was reviewed by Nick as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

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