Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu exposes World Cup scandal; language, sexism, bullying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
It's All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
IT'S ALL OVER: THE KISS THAT CHANGED SPANISH FOOTBALL starts from an event that took place following the 2023 World Cup win by Spain's National Women's Football (aka soccer) Team, when the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, kissed one of the team players on the mouth. Pressured later to say publicly that the kiss was inconsequential and consensual, the player, Jenni Hermoso, was shaken by the unwanted advance by her superior. The film gives Hermoso and her teammates and supporters, including past women's team players, a chance to tell their side of the story. What emerges is a portrait not just of a corrupt investigation and old boys' club of influence and pressure among coaches and managers, but also a long tradition in Spanish soccer of undervaluing female players and underserving the women's team.
Is It Any Good?
If you paid attention at the time of the controversy around the "kiss" mentioned in the title of this film, you'll appreciate this play-by-play of the events surrounding it. It's All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football could have been titled "The Kiss that Changed Spain" because of the event's broader social ramifications. It was Spain's #MeToo reckoning, as at least one headline called it. "The kiss of death for Spanish machismo," another declared. Yet even so, this 95-minute documentary might appeal most to soccer fans. This is a settling of accounts, with the film standing squarely behind the women athletes and telling their side of the story.
But they also talk about much more than just the controversial kiss. Multiple female athletes, past and present, recount years of indignities the Spanish national women's soccer team lived for the better part of a decade, leading up to the 2023 World Cup, from no changing rooms or gym access to arriving jet-lagged to matches. The film serves as a companion piece to LFG, a 2021 documentary detailing how the US Women's National Soccer Team commanded equal pay. The closing scenes offer a rousing reminder of how social change impacts subsequent generations, and why strong female role models are essential for young girls.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about who was in the right and wrong according to the documentary It's All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football. How did the kiss in question "change Spanish football"?
How have the female athletes on the Spanish team demonstrated teamwork and courage? What impact did this have?
How did their taking a collective stand potentially benefit society as a whole? Can you think of any other similar scenarios, where a group of people taking a stand had a much broader impact?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 1, 2024
- Cast : Jennifer Hermoso , Alexia Putellas , Irene Paredes
- Director : Joanna Pardos
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate