This moving Netflix sports drama is climbing the charts

While Netflix is ​​full of more high-octane action movies and true crime documentaries than you can watch in a lifetime, the streaming service also produces some truly heartfelt and powerful films. The most recent example is Rez Balla new sports drama directed by Sydney Freeland, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sterling Harjo.

“In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team with a rich Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge yet,” the synopsis reads. “After losing their star player, the rest of the team needs to come together more than ever to achieve their dream of winning a state championship. This is more than just a sport, it is a journey of resilience and unity, a true story of struggle deeply rooted in Native American culture.”

The film is inspired by Michael Powell’s 2019 non-fiction book Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season in the Navajo Nation.

After premiering on Netflix last week, the film has crept into the top 10 charts and, at the time of writing, was one of only two Netflix originals with this distinction. Rez Ball was also a huge hit with seemingly everyone who took the time to watch it, earning a score of 92% from critics and 87% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sterling Harjo is best known as the co-creator of FX Reservation dogs with Taika Waititi. Meanwhile, Freeland has directed a number of popular shows in recent years, including Marvel’s echo, Star Trek: Strange New Worldsand also Reservation dogs.

“For us, this film is an invitation to see a side of America – a community [everyone] “I may not be familiar with it,” Freeland told Netflix’s Tudum. “But for myself, for these kids, for the cast, for the crew, this is something we’ve lived and breathed our whole lives.”