'First Match' Review: Netflix Finally Has A Good Film Under The Belt!


• First Match, 2018 • Review • 7.7/10 •

This isn't your typical underdog sports story, this film is about personal survival, the ability to accept hard truths, and resilience in the face of a lifetime of broken promises and disappointment. There's a lot at stake in First Match. And the entire movie is writ large on the face of Elvire Emanuelle, a young actress of remarkable ability and magnetism. The young wrestlers are exuberant; the coach is insightful. Yahya Abdul-Mahteen II is subtle and effective as Mo's dickhead dad. Kimberly Ramirez, Mo's Spanish foster mother, gives a nuanced, heartbreaking performance. Only the stock neighbourhood "fixer" (Allen Maldonado) seems a cliche. The movie is set in Brooklyn at its least gentrified; the gritty streets, the spot-on rap music, and the sympathetic kids with multiple challenges looking for a way out. Overall, it's not a bad film at all. Finally, Netflix has a half decent film to there name!

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