Mexico 86 Review: Netflix's Soccer True Story Fails To Score

World Cup fever has officially taken over the globe, with the next tournament set to kick off on June 11. As a result, everyone appears to be getting in on the football (or soccer, depending on where you’re from) craze, even Netflix. The streamer releases its latest film, Mexico 86, on the service this Friday.

Mexico 86 tells the story of Martín de la Torre, a low-level football federation employee who puts everything on the line for his country. After instability from Pablo Escobar’s reign of terror forces Colombia to abandon its plans to host the 1986 World Cup, FIFA scrambles to find a new country for the tournament to take place in. A number of countries put their hat in the ring, including the United States, Egypt, Sweden, and Mexico. Martín de la Torre backs himself to lead his country’s ambitious bid to bring the World Cup to Mexico, using shady tactics, political bargaining, and sheer bravery to make it happen.

Mexico 86’s Story Fails To Impress

Despite what sounds like an interesting premise, what becomes increasingly apparent as Mexico 86 goes on is the disconnect between the audience and the film itself. It tends to treat its subject matter as more interesting than it actually is, without doing enough to convince audiences to invest in the story. The consequence of such a mistake is that the film may only be of interest to soccer fans, rather than luring in general moviegoing audiences as Netflix hopes to do.

Similarly, the story of corruption and chaos surrounding a World Cup host country is in line with almost everything FIFA has done in the last several decades, something virtually every follower of the sport will know. As a result, even the biggest of soccer fans may not find the film particularly compelling, as the ins and outs of the buildup to the 1986 World Cup pale in comparison to some other FIFA scandals, such as the Sepp Blatter/Michel Platini corruption case of 2015 (ironically enough, the latter is name-dropped in this film).

Mexico 86’s story also changes surprisingly as the film goes on. The first act sets up the rest to be a fight for the hosting rights to the World Cup, but Mexico are shown being named the host country around the 40-minute mark. The story then shifts to follow Diego Luna’s character as he prepares his country for the tournament, including fighting off late attempts by the United States to take over hosting duties as a result of a deadly earthquake in Mexico that leaves FIFA uneasy. The story eventually shifts beyond the 1986 World Cup in its climax, an odd creative choice that feels like a betrayal of the film’s most basic premise.

Even if the script itself is lacking, the film’s lead actor continues to impress.

As the story progresses in unexpected (and often disappointing) directions, Mexico 86 retains its lighthearted humor. Netflix advertises the film as a comedy, but the attempts at humor mostly fall flat, relying heavily on smart quips that rarely have any impact. The light tone does help to make it an easy, mostly entertaining watch, but it also undercuts any real sense of urgency or emotional weight. In moments where the stakes should feel high, the often mean-spirited humor robs the sequence of any tension, leaving Mexico 86 to feel off-putting when it should feel gripping.

Diego Luna Shines Despite Mexico 86’s Issues

Felix (Diego Luna) looking angry in his chair in Narcos- Mexico

As the film goes on, it feels less like a story of the Mexico World Cup and, instead, more like a biopic of Martín de la Torre. He’s the film’s central protagonist, but he isn’t entirely good in nature. In fact, much of the film shows de la Torre doing something wrong, from cheating on his wife to bribing officials and even forging player ages to make them eligible to play for Mexico’s Under-20s team. All of it makes him a relatively unlikable main character, reminiscent of Marty Supreme. However, unlike Marty, de la Torre doesn’t have as many redeeming qualities, so audiences are likely to struggle to sympathize with him as things begin to go wrong.

In fact, most of the main character’s charm and likability comes from Diego Luna himself. Luna has had an incredible few years, in part because of his starring role in the critically acclaimed Andor on Disney+, and it’s unfortunate that his streak doesn’t continue with Mexico 86. However, it’s not for lack of trying; Luna does his very best to make the film as good as it can be, and it’s in large part because of him that Mexico 86 retains the attention of the audience. His charisma means that he commands the screen. Even if the script itself is lacking, the film’s lead actor continues to impress.

Mexico 86 is available to stream on Netflix from June 5.