- Network: Netflix
- Series Premiere Date: Jan 29, 2021
Critic Reviews
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We Are the Brooklyn Saints is beautiful, not just in terms of its subject matter, but in its look and sound and rhythm: the vibe of the thing. ... We Are the Brooklyn Saints reclaims dignity and urgency for its characters, not only by centering their stories, but by consciously looking for beauty, even poetry, in outwardly unremarkable big-city locations.
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Valdez was not making a film about boys or football. He was making a film about men. ... It’s probably closest to Hoop Dreams in spirit (and length), but while that classic film was about two kids and the families living their dreams vicariously, this docuseries is about something larger, what I would call the building of social capital.
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We Are: The Brooklyn Saints is designed to be heartwarming and inspirational, and Valdez hits the mark on both.
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At just four episodes, “Saints” is rare among docu-series today in not feeling stretched out. I could imagine a longer version that spent more time with the players and coaches at home. But there’s something to be said these days for a series that leaves you wanting more.
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It may be that complexity would get in the way of the uplift, which Brooklyn Saints provides early and often, down to several comeback sequences that seem straight out of a scripted underdog sports film. But the end result feels more generic than it could, especially given how many other docuseries are chasing the same dream.
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We Are: The Brooklyn Saints doesn't always make logical "sense" and it sometimes likes the eager chaos around football more than football itself. But it doesn't lack for heartwarming moments and underdog sports excitement and in that in-between week before the Super Bowl, it's an opportunity to scratch that pigskin itch without giving in to the hype of the Big Game.