Goat Movie Review: A fun-filled slam dunk about moving away from conformity

Does conformity restrict you or give you structure? Humans have a love-hate relationship with conformity. But when something has stood beyond its time, evolution is necessary. Tyree Dillihay’s Goat ponders the implication of this theme with the hip, sass, and swagger of the internet era. While the setting can remind you of other animated films like Zootopia and Space Jam, Goat stands apart with optimism, technical brilliance and a simple but entertaining story.

Director: Tyree Dillihay

Cast: Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Stephen Curry, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Nicola Coughlan

In the world of Goat, the sport that dominates the airwaves is Roarball, a version of basketball that imbibes the dangers that the environment of the host team has to offer, like lava, falling stalactites, or ice sheets above deep waters. The makers use the 3D style of animation to show this extensive world building in its full scale, with thrill-evoking visuals.

Rookie Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin) is recruited to play for his dream team, the Thorns, which is lead by the aging legend Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union). Magma, the main rivals of The Thorns, are lead by the horse, Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre). While trying to prove himself to Jett, Will has to dodge every single opponent, which includes bears, crocodiles, gorillas, and the raging fire that shoots out from the ground of the Magmas’ home ground. After passing through all these obstacles he still has to score points. The makers use fast-paced tracking shots without sacrificing their showcase of scale, and have used animation to show perspectives that will be impossible to capture on camera.

While the animation for animals can be exaggerated, Goat never confuses the audience in how the animals behave in that world. Jett, a black panther, is fluidic with her movement and has the swag and confidence of Michael Jordan. But that doesn’t stop the makers in adding comedic moments which involve her stalking her prey. The levity also extends to Will, the titular goat, who bleats in a manner that is a call back to Marlon Wayans’ infamous “Whazzaaa” phone call in Scary Movie (2000).

With NBA being the inspiration, the makers have also played around with the hip-hop elements that is involved with the sport. The addition of Stephen Curry’s own pre-game rituals and tics add to the uniquely intriguing world building. This balance between the quirks and the dramatics makes sure that the world building doesn’t distract the audience from the viewing experience.

The story of an underdog’s rise in a sports drama is a story as old as time. But Goat also adds another age-old element of storytelling into the mix: what if animals can talk? Even with two age-old elements of storytelling, Goat offers viewers a unique story. While Will has to break out of his self-doubt and channel his earnestness to reach glory, Jett has to evolve into someone who is not self-absorbed and untrustworthy. The film shows both characters breaking out of conforming to some expectations and self-actualizing without having to sacrifice the unending optimism.

While this can prove to be a tough aspect to hold throughout an animated movie, Goat’s writing is able to cross that hurdle. Jett has a lot of experience that can help Will achieve greatness. Will has a lot of street smarts that can help Jett shake off the feeling of inadequacy. While this premise can be simple, the holistic experience that Goat offers is compelling.

Sony Pictures Animation has never maintained a particular animation style for its films. Films like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or the Spider-Verse films have only broken away from convention, and with Goat, they have not just served something that is non-conforming, but game-changing.