This is the first installment of “Now Streaming,” a new feature at Hudson River Blue that looks at a movie or streaming series related to soccer. Every review will give you essential information – how to watch it, how long it runs, and if it’s family-friendly. Every review will be graded on the 10-point Player Rating scale: A 6 is fine, a 7 is good, an 8 is excellent, and a 9 is a golazo. And every review will try to explain why you might want to watch it: We want to give you the vibes more than a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
• Player Rating: 8.2
• Stream: Netflix
• Length: 4 episodes, 66-77 mins each
• Audience: Ages 13 and Older
Beckham works because David Beckham’s story is so good: Who doesn’t want to be a fly on the wall in the Manchester United locker room in the late 90s? The doc was made with the full cooperation of the Beckhams, so you ain’t going to learn where the bodies are buried. But the archival footage – plus some juicy interviews with Diego Simeone, Figo, Gary Neville, and other heavies from the time – make the series worth watching.
It would be easy to dismiss Beckham as hagiography, a soft-focus documentary about a hyper-famous soccer player and his hyper-famous wife. After all, the four-part Netflix series was made with the full cooperation of the Beckhams, and the few flaws that are revealed only serve to make the couple look relatable and human, which in turn makes them seem only more magnificent.
