2012PG

The Beautiful Game

Name: The Beautiful Game
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2012-10-04
Rating: 9

Documentary1h 24m

🍅88%

🍅

88%

Tomatometer

🍿

66%

Popcornmeter

9.0

TMDB

Storyline

Across Africa, people are using soccer to lift themselves up, to create change in their communities and to pave the way for progress. "The Beautiful Game" follows several unforgettable Africans who are beating the odds on and off the pitch.

Details

DirectorVictor Buhler

ReleasedOct 4, 2012

StatusReleased

Budget

Not disclosed

Revenue

Not disclosed

Reviews

8 reviews · 7 critics

6 fresh · 1 rotten

Critics consensus

“The Beautiful Game has an undeniable warmth that further elevates an already irresistible true story, helping this inspirational drama score despite a reliance on well-worn clichés.”

88% TomatometerRotten Tomatoes

Mick LaSalle

RTSan Francisco ChronicleApr 30, 2026

Ultimately, it all comes down to Ward and Nighy... They seemed to believe they were in a better movie than the one they were in, and for stretches of time, they make us believe them.

Donald Clarke

RTIrish TimesDec 31, 2024

What we have here is an efficient compilation of the hoariest sporting cliches given a breath of life by some charming actors.

Robert Levin

RTNewsdayApr 8, 2024

There's hardly anything in “The Beautiful Game” that audiences have not seen a thousand times before. And that's unfortunate, because the Homeless World Cup has dramatic potential that transcends the underdog story archetype.

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

RTFangirlishApr 30, 2026

Sports movies are all, deep down, about what it means to be part of a team. The Beautiful Game does showcase the benefits of teamwork, camaraderie, and companionship, but it goes, perhaps, a bit further.