The Final Game

Months before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the Spanish water polo team is in poor shape. The new coach's harsh methods have split the squad, and the players are in conflict with each other and with the federation. As the host nation the expectation is high and the team is in no condition to meet it. The film covers that preparation period and the final seconds in which everything is decided. Alex Murrull follows the shape of the sports drama without putting victory at the center. The real matter is a group of people learning to tolerate each other, and only managing it under pressure. The pool scenes are shot from underwater, making the physical violence inside the water visible; water polo is rarely shown this hard on screen. Jaime Lorente and Álvaro Cervantes lead the cast. Who it's for: Viewers who like sports drama, team stories, and Spanish films based on real events. Who it's not for: The structure is predictable and most of the characters stay thin. Some scenes will pass without context if you do not know the sport.