These three new sports dramas punch above their weight
The sports movie, like any genre, can easily fall victim to overly familiar story beats
NEW YORK (AP) — The sports movie, like any genre, can easily fall victim to overly familiar story beats. An underdog challenger. A big match. You know how the rest goes.
But a trio of new movies brings some original moves, and a few curveballs, to a genre where tried-and-true formula often reigns supreme. In a movie year that’s already given us “Challengers” – a tennis movie that has almost nothing to do with tennis and everything to do with the dynamics of a threesome – these movies carve out their own place in the hard knocks world of sports dramas.
Each, curiously enough, is a directorial debut by an industry veteran. And each features, among other fine performances, one of the great standbys of the sports film and the abiding refuge of great character actors: the inspirational coach.
