Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Underdog sports tale has drinking, drugs, some language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Queenstown Kings
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE QUEENSTOWN KINGS, "Terror" Mahamba (Zolisa Xaluva) is a once-popular professional soccer player now struggling with injuries, alcoholism, and his outsized ego. When his father, a legendary soccer coach in the minor league "grassroots football" circuit, unexpectedly dies, Terror must return to where he grew up -- the rough-and-tumble Queenstown township, but his alcoholism gets the better of him and he finds himself in jail after getting arrested for drunk driving on the journey home. This causes further tension with his estranged son Fezile (Likona Mgali), who is a rising star on his soccer team, the Queenstown Kings. To stay out of jail, the judge has Terror perform community service as the new coach of the Kings. Back in Queenstown, Terror tries to improve the team and must face off against the troubles the individual players face as he seeks to mend his relationship with Fezile while struggling with alcoholism.
Is It Any Good?
This scrappy underdog tale has an interesting setting but a tired premise. The Queenstown Kings is set in the rough-and-tumble Queenstown township, and the Kings are a soccer team that play in the "grassroots football" circuit, on dirt fields with rowdy fans and rival players unafraid to use guns when the game doesn't go their way. For the unfamiliar, this is a fascinating glimpse into the lives and culture that surround these leagues.
That said, the story itself offers the typical comeback-kid choices like playing for the team or playing for personal success, giving up ego, giving up drinking and drugs for a higher purpose, drawing on inner strength to be a winner both on and off the field, etc. The characters are likable enough, and the culture revealed in the movie is fascinating, but the movie doesn't quite transcend the countless cliches that are so much a part of this genre.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about underdog sports movies like Queenstown Kings. How is this similar to and different from other movies you've seen about underdogs?
How does the movie reveal the lives and culture of those living in a South African township?
What does the movie reveal about the conditions of play for South African football teams playing in the "grassroots football" leagues?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 17, 2023
- Cast : William Adams , Gcinuhlanga Dibi , Athenkosi Cwele
- Director : Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 137 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 16, 2024
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