The general manager of the Cleveland Browns must fight to land the number 1 draft pick after a thirteen-year unlucky streak. Can Sonny Weaver, Jr. (Kevin Costner) turn that around, or will he just drive the team into a deeper hole? Directed by Ivan Reitman, and also starring Jennifer Garner and Dennis Leary, Draft Day is a reminder of Kevin Costner’s classic sports movies from the 80s and 90s.

Confession time. I know very little about American football. Not a thing. I couldn’t tell a snap from a wide receiver. So this movie is kind of outside my experience. There’s a lot of names dropped and “Remember [event] in [year]?” and archival footage that meant nothing to me, but would probably excite someone with even a basic knowledge of the sport.

However, the backstage politics, the twists and turns, the arguments all held my attention. It’s a very tight throwback to Costner’s classic sport films from the 80’s to 90s, with cameos from major players on ESPN and from the sport. The plot ticks the usual boxes, family, love, loss and the unifying power of sport, with an impressive main cast, including Frank Langella, Dennis Leary, Jennifer Garner and Terry Crews, and Arian Foster, an actual footballer, having a very impressive turn. If he ever hangs up his helmet, there’s a definite future in acting for him.

If you’re a football fan, there’s a lot here for you. If you’re not, well… It successfully held my attention throughout, even when there were whole conversations that left me at sea.

Chalk it up as a maybe?

Donal O’Connor