Back of the Net

Ronnie enrols at a new sports academy and runs into her old rival Amber there. There is a national tournament between the two teams and Ronnie is determined to win. Training is hard, the rivalry sharp, and her teammates have their own troubles. Ronnie has to prove herself both on the field and off it; her family has just moved and she knows nobody at the new school. As the tournament approaches the team learns to come together. Louise Alston directs. Sofia Wylie, Kate Box, Christopher Kirby and Tiarnie Coupland are in the cast. It is an Australian production. The film follows the youth sports shape; the newcomer, the rival and the big final. The matter it treats is fitting in; Ronnie is trying to adjust to a new team and a new country at once. The film puts women's football at the centre and does not leave its characters passive. The narrative keeps the conflict soft and nobody is really bad. The match scenes try to be realistic but the choreography shows. The film also carries a family tension as a short line. The narrative aims at a young audience and keeps the pace fast. The ending closes with the final everyone expects. Its limit is predictability; the mould is familiar, the characters simple, and there are no surprises. Who it is for: young viewers and people who like sports films. Who it is not for: it is simple, predictable, and the ending what you expect.