A small goat with big dreams gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball, a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.
"GOAT" is a 2016 drama film directed by Andrew Neel, based on Brad Land's memoir of the same name. The movie delves into the intense and brutal world of fraternity hazing, exploring themes of masculinity, brotherhood, and the psychological impact of peer pressure. Starring Ben Schnetzer and Nick Jonas, "GOAT" offers a raw and unflinching look at the dark underbelly of college fraternity culture.
The film follows the story of Brad (played by Ben Schnetzer), a young college student who pledges his brother's fraternity after a traumatic assault. As Brad navigates the dangerous and dehumanizing hazing rituals, he grapples with questions of identity, loyalty, and the true meaning of brotherhood. His relationship with his actual brother, Brett (played by Nick Jonas), is tested as the brutal rituals push Brad to his limits.
Brad's character is central to the film, portraying the vulnerability and inner turmoil of a young man seeking acceptance and validation in a toxic environment. Ben Schnetzer delivers a powerful performance, capturing Brad's internal conflict and emotional journey with nuance and authenticity. Nick Jonas's portrayal of Brett provides a contrasting perspective, highlighting the complexities of sibling dynamics and the different ways individuals cope with trauma.
Andrew Neel's directorial style in "GOAT" is visceral and uncompromising, immersing the audience in the raw intensity of fraternity life. The film's gritty cinematography and unflinching portrayal of violence create a sense of unease and tension, effectively conveying the psychological impact of hazing on the characters. Neel's choice to focus on close-up shots and handheld camera work enhances the sense of intimacy and realism, drawing viewers into the emotional turmoil of the story.
"GOAT" explores themes of toxic masculinity, power dynamics, and the destructive nature of peer pressure. The film confronts the audience with uncomfortable truths about the lengths individuals will go to in order to fit in and be accepted, highlighting the damaging effects of conformity and groupthink. Through Brad's journey, the movie ultimately asks viewers to question the true cost of identity and belonging in a culture that values strength and conformity above all else.
"GOAT" received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances and authenticity but criticism for its graphic depiction of hazing rituals. The film's unflinching approach to its subject matter divided audiences, with some applauding its realism and others condemning its glorification of violence. Despite its polarizing reception, "GOAT" sparked important conversations about fraternity culture and the psychological impact of hazing on young men.
"GOAT" shed light on the dark side of fraternity life and brought attention to the pervasive issue of hazing on college campuses. The film prompted discussions about masculinity, mental health, and the need for reform within Greek organizations. By confronting uncomfortable truths and challenging societal norms, "GOAT" made a lasting impact on viewers and raised awareness about the dangers of unchecked power dynamics in group settings.
"GOAT" is available for streaming on various platforms like Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, and YouTube Movies. Viewers can also check local theaters or rental services for screenings or physical copies of the film.
In conclusion, "GOAT" is a thought-provoking and intense exploration of masculinity, brotherhood, and the psychological toll of hazing. Through its powerful performances, gritty realism, and unflinching portrayal of fraternity culture, the film challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and reevaluate societal norms. Despite its divisive reception, "GOAT" remains a relevant and impactful film that sparks important conversations about identity, power, and the price of acceptance in a world that demands conformity.
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The “Thorns” aren’t doing so well in the “Roarball” league despite the presence of the legendary leopard “Jet” so when owner “Flo” sees a video of the feisty young goat “Will” giving one of the sport’s other celebrities “Mane” a run for his money, she decides to sign him up. It’s a combination of American football and basketball; it’s quickly paced and occasionally violent so needless to say captain “Jet” isn’t impressed with their diminutive and attitudinal young signing. Initially, the whole team are fairly disdainful of their new buddy and she leaves him on the bench, but with the team still struggling maybe it’s time to let him try to prove his worth? This is all fairly procedural stuff and I didn’t love the style of animation - it seemed a little jittery to me and the perspective looked a bit all over the place at times as the story touches predictably on elements of adulation, aspiration, team playing, trust and even some good old greed as it marches along for I felt was quite a long hundred minutes. Aside from the goat and the leopard, there isn’t really much effort put into characterising the other team mates and it could have had more fun with aspects of just how ruthless and venal the business of global sport can be, win or lose, which could have added a bit of depth to it. It’s watchable enough and the plucky "Will" is quite engaging, but it's nothing special.
Full review: https://movieswetextedabout.com/goat-movie-review-caleb-mclaughlin-and-gabrielle-union-shine-in-a-visually-stunning-underdog-tale/ Rating: B- "GOAT doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it manages to soar through vibrant technical execution and a palpable emotional chemistry between its leads. It’s a film that shines brightest when it focuses on Will’s personal growth and Jett’s necessary redemption, even when it stumbles over expository dialogue or a predictability that cools the impact of certain twists. It’s an inspiring tribute to all those who daydream in small contexts, reminding us that true greatness isn’t measured by someone’s height, but by the indomitable courage of those who refuse to accept the limits others have placed upon them."
I am very split on this movie. It's not bad, but also nothing special. First off: The visuals and character designs are lovely! Like several recent Sony Animations movies, this one was visually really nice and the animations were nice once you get used to the "stuttering" animations style. (similar to "Supa Team 4" or the combat scenes from "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." The general story is the really basic "underdog", or, undergoat story including all of it's tropes and stereotypes: "person with the wrong size/race/species/upbringing wants to do skill x, everyone laughs about them, until they show them they're awesome at it". Done for every sport, every craft, etc. That's not bad, per se. The problem for me is mainly the movie's first half: You know how these movies always have that one angry, asshole person that tells the protagonist they're never gonna make it, that never takes them for serious? Like Tigress in Kung Fu panda, and every "rival" in underdog movies? Officially that's "Jett" in this movie. But factually it's EVERYONE in the first half, except the main character's "best friends". And while having ONE doubting ass can be a cool thing to overcome, having basically a whole team's personalities reduced to "you don't care about this guy" made me really wonder if the movie will feature any non-assholes at all. AS SOON as the second half starts, the moment where the protagonist finally shows off his skills and the characters suddenly get actual personality, the whole movie becomes MUCH better. Sadly this happens far too late, and instead of showing so long-winded how nobody thinks he can do it, they should've cut that short and instead used the free time to draw out the actual emotional scenes longer. Because THOSE have potential and show much more personality, but one very important emotional part is even cut short into a montage, and that's just...really a pity. In addition, based on the German dub, the movie heavily relies on modern "youth slang". To me this felt very, well, "cringe". But I accept that I'm most likely not the target audience and I'm willing to take a seat and accept that it's a thing of the current time which I'm not a part of anymore, so, I won't judge that harshly. 😅 Oh, also, gods, SO many product placements! I'm used to Xperia phones in Sony movies, but damn, phones, cars, clothes, I hate product placement in movies, and here several camera shots were very obviously done just to show off brand logos. So, yeah. The movie is fine. It gets much better once the characters finally show personality and get emotional. This should happen much earlier and deeper, because it was when the movie was its strongest. The story combines every single underdog-movie trope and features every underdog character stereotype. If you're fine with that, I'd say, watch the movie for its cool visuals. Not necessarily in an expensive cinema, though. All that said: The diner sheep is a lovely motherly figure, I like her. Modo is fucked up in all the best ways possible. And the aardwolf girl Hannah is the cutest, coolest, most awesome character, and I want more of her! ❤️
Sony Pictures Animation is still the "goat" of making stylized animated movies, because this one was extremely entertaining! On the surface, it feels like a typical underdog movie-small protagonist tries to prove himself, a major team gives him a position, they all win-it's pretty much laid out there from the start. But that's where things change. You see, once the main character of Goat, Will Harris, joins the Thorns, his favorite roarball team (yes, that's what they call basketball in this movie), it stops being about Will trying to prove to his team he is a great addition and starts being more about teamwork. That is what separates Goat from other underdog sports movies, and what makes it so entertaining from start to finish. The animation, of course, is really awesome, it's very funny, has lots of emotion, and a stellar voice cast. Oh, and the soundtrack is lit. Goat is definitely gonna be one of my favorite movies of this year and maybe in general. Who knows?