Saipan

AroView: You need not be a football fan to enjoy this gripping account of the lead up to a public meltdown between Irish football manager Mick McCarthy and his belligerent star captain Roy Keane ahead of the FIFA World Cup of 2002.

Éanna Hardwicke is brilliant as the uncompromising Keane, while Steve Coogan plays it superbly straight as the beleaguered coach doing his best to save face with the players, the media and business stakeholders in the tropical heat of the Micronesian island of the title. It’s a pressure-cooker drama that could be set in any industry where power and ego are off the chain, directed with flair by husband-and-wife team Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa. Subtitles recommended, though, as you don’t wanna miss a word. ★★★★

“The rare football movie that’s worth a replay.” ~Benjamin Lee, The Guardian

“A fascinating, funny, and smart breakdown of how one argument served as a microcosm for centuries of conflict, cultural values, and men’s egos.” ~Emma Kiely, Collider

“Finally, someone has returned to The Damned United’s cunning formula for a good football movie: don’t show any football.” ~Phil de Semlyen, Time Out