Synopsis
A star quarterback ignites a players’ strike hours before the biggest game of the year in order to fight for fair compensation, equality, and respect for the athletes who put their bodies and health on the line for their schools.
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Cast
- Stephan JamesLeMarcus James
- J.K. SimmonsCoach James Lazor
- Alexander LudwigEmmett Sunday
- Lil Rel HoweryCoach Dunn
- Tim Blake NelsonRodger Cummings
- Andrew BachelorTaylor Sheridan
- David KoechnerRichard Everly
- Jeffrey DonovanMark Titus
- Kristin ChenowethBailey Lazor
- Timothy OlyphantElliott Schmidt
Recommendations
- 70
Los Angeles Times
You don’t have to be into football to appreciate the high-stakes struggle in National Champions. - 68
TheWrap
It’s a story ripped from at least a few years of headlines, and a subject about which there has been much debate. It may or may not come as a surprise, then, that a single two-hour film fails to sufficiently capture its complexities, even working from a compelling premise with a gifted cast. - 67
Austin Chronicle
It’s bleak and brutal, and Waugh’s cold tone (a definite throwback to Shot Caller) leaves no one with clean hands. But as a testament to the costs of a noble sacrifice in the face of institutional inhumanity, it’s as vital as any of his earlier films. - 63
Movie Nation
It’s a sports movie that’ll make you think, and its release — cleverly-timed for the weekend when the only college tilt is the rare one with real “student athletes,” the Army/Navy game — invites fans to put down the beer, get off those Internet sports gambling sites, and think about what’s going on. - 63
ReelViews
National Champions remains effective as an ode to cynical realism but it’s uneven at best as a slice of drama. - 50
Screen Rant
Aided by solid performances, National Champions has a great story, but ultimately its individual parts aren't enough to score the winning touchdown. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
The ruling on the field is this is an incomplete pass. - 42
The A.V. Club
This movie is all talk and no action. It’s a two-hour pregame show, with no game.
