agmtw logo
search
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey (2024)

Giannis: The Marvelous Journey (2024)

This awe-inspiring and triumphant documentary gives justice to an NBA star’s remarkable rise to the top

7.3

Movie

United States of America
English
Documentary
2024
FEMALE DIRECTOR, KRISTEN LAPPAS
Alex Antetokounmpo, Ernie Johnson, Giannis Antetokounmpo
109 min

TLDR

I didn’t know anything about Giannis before going in, but now I feel like I could probably die for him.

What it's about

An icon in the making, Giannis Antetokounmpo tells the unbelievable true story of how he overcame a difficult childhood in Greece to become one of the greatest NBA champs of all time.

The take

Giannis Antetokounmpo's rags-to-riches life story is the stuff of movies, and indeed it’s been told many times on print and screen. But this is the first time he and his family are telling it themselves, which is a big deal since Antetokounmpo, as it turns out, is inseparable from his family. Their revealing interviews about how they struggled as undocumented immigrants from Nigeria in Greece add a new, moving depth to a well-known journey, which Director Kristen Lappas wisely divides into chapters named after Greek ideals Antetokounmpo represents. Despite Lappas’ background (she is Greek-American), she makes sure to balance Antetokounmpo's heroic moments with the Greek government’s at-times unfair treatment of the athlete and other immigrants in the country. She also puts a spotlight on the pressures Antetokounmpo is going through as one of the youngest champs in NBA history. After all, at just 29 years old, he’s already a two-time MVP and playoff winner. This doc proves that the story of how he got there is no less remarkable.

What stands out

The love and unshakable loyalty Antetokounmpo feels for his family and his people, which are both his strength and Achilles heel. Also, the many funny ways people (mis)pronounce "Antetokounmpo."

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

Hail Satan? (2019)

Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple

8.0

Incendies (2011)

Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene

9.9

Short Term 12 (2013)

Sweet, slow-moving, and possibly life-changing, this American drama shines the light on the chaos and crises of social work in America

9.9

The Farewell (2019)

Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.

9.1

Booksmart (2019)

Two academic overachievers from high school set out to prove that they're a smart and fun for one last time.

9.0

The Edge of Democracy (2019)

Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.

9.0

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Viggo Mortensen is fantastic in this plot-twisting drama about a survivalist American family

9.5

Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)

Soulmates find each other through dance in this spectacular musical romance

7.0

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)

A gamer with disability crafts a life and community in online roleplay in this unconventional, moving documentary

8.3

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.