The Way Back 2020

If I were to compare this with Hustle (2022), I’d still prefer the one with Adam Sandler. Hustle gives me a much stronger sense of triumph when it comes to the basketball side, where all the training, struggle, and sacrifice eventually build toward a satisfying payoff. The Way Back uses basketball more as a plot device, so the emotional journey matters more than winning games. I had the same feeling here as I did with Manchester by the Sea (2016). It should have punched deeper for me because I also know what it means to lose a child. But instead, I didn’t fully connect with Ben Affleck’s character. Maybe it is just me, I think the Affleck brothers just don’t really fit the depressed dad look for me. Well, at least the last 15 minutes saved the film. It finally became hopeful and emotional, which was what I felt was lacking throughout most of the movie.