With LeBron James as one of the producers, Netflix’s “Rez Ball” shoots for the relatively easier-to-achieve cheers that a well-documented sports drama could effortlessly garner. It is a free throw in basketball parlance. However, just like a free throw demands to be shot well, “Rez Ball,” with its inherently emotional story, demands to be told well. Director Sydney Freeland manages to do this by tweaking the genre’s tropes to blend with the Navajo culture. “Rez Ball” is not novel per se, but it has the warmth of an unfamiliar world.
Rez Ball (2024) Netflix Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:
The Chuska Warriors are a high-school basketball team from New Mexico comprising Native American youngsters. The team’s star player is Nataanii Jackson. But Jackson has not played for the team in some time. Jackson has been struggling with depression since his mother and sister passed away in an accident almost a year ago. Jackson’s friend and teammate, Jimmy Holiday (Kauchani Bratt), brings a bit of cheer as he practices with him nearly every day. With Jimmy’s friendship and coach Heather Hobbs’ (Jessica Matten) insistence, Nataanii decides to come back.
With Nataanii joining their ranks again, the Warriors claim a fine win in their first match of the season. Although Nataanii joins in the celebration, his attitude is markedly different. Jimmy notices but does not say anything. And this proves to be fatal. On the day of the Warrior’s second match, the team learns the horrific news of Nataanii’s suicide. The entire team is devastated, but no one is more mortified than Jimmy. Even Jimmy’s recluse and distant mother, Gloria (Julia Jones), tries to comfort him without success.
As time starts to lessen the pain for most, Jimmy’s scar remains fresh. As a result, the Warriors’ performance takes a plunge. Nine straight losses for Coach Hobbs’ team make social media abuzz with demands for her resignation. With no solution in sight, Hobbs reaches out for help from her old coach, Benny (Ernest Tsosie III). With his help, Hobbs starts to find the fighting spirit in her team. She employs traditional Navajo tactics, like chasing sheep, for instance. The Warrior players are asked to round up the sheep on Hobbs’ grandma’s farm as a team-building exercise. Overcoming initial hiccups, they manage that. By doing so, they learn to communicate better in the Navajo language. And with opponents not understanding the language, they could have an advantage.
This trick, and the new energized team spirit, helps the Chuska Warriors to win their remaining league matches. Confirming their play-off spot. Parallelly, we see Gloria’s journey. She tries to overcome her alcohol addiction by taking a job and joining the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Hobbs once told Jimmy that his mother used to be one of the best basketball players in school. She was destined for a professional playing career, but it never took off. As Gloria starts becoming sober, she accepts Jimmy’s love for basketball.
Rez Ball (2024) ‘Netflix’ Movie Review:
Freeland and co-writer Sterlin Harjo attempt to follow the sports-drama formula without making it feel formulaic. “Rez Ball” starts with a shocker in that aspect, as it lulls you to root for its hero only to pull the rug out from under. The story takes an aching but interesting turn when the second-to-the-hero, the Robin to Nataanii Jackson’s Batman, Jimmy Holiday, is asked to lead—both his team and the story. Unfortunately for the film, “Rez Ball” could not shake off the sports-movie tropes from that moment onwards. The familiar elements emerge: team bonding through an unusual challenge, clashes between star players, and a losing streak that sets the stage for a powerful comeback. As these tropes unfold, the formula’s framework becomes increasingly apparent.
Despite that, the charm of the film lies in its cultural roots—the familiarity of a sports film in the unfamiliar territory of the Navajo world. Add to that a buoyantly confident young Native American cast. Kauchani Bratt, as the tormented protagonist Jimmy Holiday, is a slam dunk. His earnestness makes the pain ache harder, and the triumphs taste sweeter. For a Basketball film, the film does not spend much time showing on-court actions. But when it does, cinematographer Kira Kelly’s camera does that well.
Rez Ball (2024) ‘Netflix’ Ending Explained:
How Did the Chuska Warriors Win the Final?
A quick montage glosses over the basketball actions that serve to let us know that the Warriors make it to the final of the State Championship. Their opponent is the mighty Santa Fe Coyotes. The Coyotes, with their captain and best player, Mason Troy (Sam Griesel), taunt the Chuska Warriors. The Warriors did lose magnificently against the Coyotes when they met in the league stage. So, the final match also has the added spice of being an opportunity for revenge.
However, Jimmy and the team soon realize that the Coyotes have done their homework well. The Coyotes learned Navajo, so the Warriors did not have an advantage in communication. This level of preparedness shocks the Warriors, and they go down immediately as the first quarter starts. But Hobbs recognizes the danger and gives an inspiring pep-talk to the team. She tells the Warriors that they do not just have the Navajo language advantage to thank for their accolades. It is the Navajo spirit they have to thank.
With Hobbs’ words, Jimmy and others rally around and take the match by its scruff. The match hangs in the balance when the last second gets over, with the Warriors having three free throws for a foul on Jimmy. Jimmy misses one. But he scores the two as he remembers Nataanii and Gloria. Chuska Warriors win the final to lift the trophy.
What Is Next for Jimmy and Gloria?
It has been shown that Gloria had not come to a single match to see her son play. However, before the final, she risks the danger of traveling out of state to see her son play. As she has prior pending charges, she gets arrested the moment she is stopped by a patrolling police car. She is thrown into a police cell, but a Native-American officer takes pity on her. The officer allows her to hear the radio commentary of Jimmy’s match. She hears her son scoring the winning points.
Later, she gets out on bail. It becomes clear that her relationship with Jimmy improves. Moreover, Jimmy gets multiple College offers for his playing caliber. Jimmy and Gloria relish the small joys of a basketball game on the street, right outside their house. The film starts with Jimmy and Nataanii playing ball in the backyard. The film ends with Jimmy doing the same with his mom. Jimmy loses his best friend but gets his mother back in the end. Also, Jimmy’s budding romance with Krista (Zoey Reyes) becomes a bit serious as he takes her to the spot where he and Nataanii used to hang out.
What Happens to Hobbs?
One of the weaknesses of “Rez Ball” is the undercooked subplot of Coach Hobbs’ personal life. Hobbs is shown to be a former WNBA star. A Native-American player-turned-coach, taking the Native-American team of Chuska Warriors to glory seems to be the pinnacle of her coaching career. She was shown to try for a job in college basketball coaching without success. But the State Championship win makes the same colleges reconsider their judgments. However, Hobbs decides to stay with Chuska Warriors as she looks ahead to a new season.
She was also shown to be stuck in the aftermath of a broken relationship, constantly messaging her ex and waiting for her reply. In the end, it is implied that Hobbs learns to let go as she gracefully accepts her ex’s congratulatory message.
