Facing Nolan

Bradley Jackson's 2022 documentary is about the baseball player Nolan Ryan. Ryan played twenty-seven seasons and most of his strikeout records still stand; the documentary builds that career through the accounts of the hitters who faced him. That perspective is its best decision. Opposing players describe how frightening his pitching was, how he prepared and why he could keep playing for so long. His own account is brief and reserved; Ryan is not a talkative figure. The documentary also takes up Texas identity; that he continued living on a ranch and stayed in the same place across his career is part of the story. The critical distance is narrow, and it was produced with the participation of his family and former teammates. Who it's for: baseball followers and those who like sports biography. Who it's not for: viewers who do not know the sport; the documentary assumes familiarity with the statistics and career details.