In most instances, Rez Ball isn’t all that different from traditional sports dramas. It features a down-on-their-luck high school basketball team–the Chuska Warriros– that gets better through sheer perseverance and teamwork. But as the title suggests, the Warriors play a slightly different kind of game. Rez Ball, according to the film, is faster and more points-focused. And the way the film lets the players (and us, the audience) learn about it by connecting the team with Navajo culture and practices is ingenious. As an intimate showcase of rez life, the film shines. But as a drama, it falters. The acting is rusty and uneven (though shoutout to Devin Sampson-Craig and first-timer Kauchani Bratt for getting it right), and the direction feels similarly wooden. The film is a promising entry, it just needs more time and polishing to be great.
"Maintaining a feel-good tone without becoming saccharine, Rez Ball is a charmer with enough of an edge to keep viewers on their toes."
— Jourdain Searles
"There’s a lived-in intimacy to its heart and humor that is both culturally specific and universally felt. It’s also just plain entertaining from start to finish. I’m happy to report that the feel-good sports movie renaissance is off to a great start."
— Marya E. Gates
After losing their star player, a high school basketball team rooted in Native American culture must unite to keep their state championship dreams alive.
When the Chuska Warriors lose their star player in a tragic incident, the high school basketball team’s coach decides to train them in a more traditional way.
Coach Heather’s clever ways of teaching the team the Rez Ball ways.
It just needed a bit more time to bake, but the film is sure to tug at the heartstrings.
