‘Rez Ball’ Review: Sydney Freeland’s Brisk Basketball Drama Takes a Fast Break From Tradition
variety.comStephen Saito “We run fast, we shoot fast and we don’t ever stop,” Heather (Jessica Matten) tells her players on the Chuska Warriors about the style of basketball she’d like to see them play in “Rez Ball.” That directive may take a while to set in with her high school squad, but is director Sydney Freeland’s modus operandi from the jump of her third feature, an almost comically brisk but genuinely rousing telling of a true underdog story.
The national anthem hasn’t stopped playing over the first game you see the Warriors in before both teams on the floor have reached 40 points.
While mirroring the energy on the court, the sense of urgency would seem to come from the opportunity to reenvision the sports drama from the Indigenous perspective.
Details such as having “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung in Navajo elevate a serviceable standard of the genre, while streaming on Netflix should actually help it reach a wider audience than a theatrical release might.
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