When people think of football, they think of teams, and if not teams, they think of individual goalscorers. Higuita: the Way of the Scorpion focuses instead on a single goalkeeper from Latin America. To be fair, this goalkeeper is René Higuita – even just checking his Wikipedia is bound to pull some curiosity. But the documentary does a great job in introducing the man and his life story, starting with his fantastic scorpion kick before delving into the more personal and sensitive aspects of his life. With the wild gameplays and crazy controversies linked to the man, it’s actually unbelievable how a documentary like this hasn’t been made yet.
From humble origins to soccer legend, this documentary captures the rise of Colombia’s René Higuita, from iconic career to personal controversies.
From Colombia, René Higuita revolutionizes football through his flamboyant and unorthodox style of goal-keeping.
Even without considering his scorpion kick, René Higuita has lived such an interesting life that just reading his Wikipedia page already feels like a telenovela plot, with literal kidnapping and drug lord Pablo Escobar involved. Higuita: The Way of the Scorpion doesn’t lean on histrionics, thankfully, but it does a great job in introducing the man and his crazy life stories, mainly focusing on the sport that he calls an art. The documentary trusts in Higuita’s charisma and reputation among players, oftentimes letting his flair and his gameplay speak for itself, only stepping in through cohesive editing, score cards, and decent tracks. And this trust pays off, to the point that this film just feels inevitable.
We can’t imagine a documentary like this for any other football star.
