Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck)’s life is a void of everything but hardships. His job is terrible, he has troubles with his family, and his separation from his wife has kept him for the dating scene. The only thing in life is his crippling addiction to booze. Things start to look up when he is offered a Coaching job at his old Catholic High School. He soon discovers this job will offer him a chance for redemption. 

The Way Back (2020) may sound like another sports film in the mold of The Bad News Bears, But it has more in common with Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend. This is a tough as nails look at alcoholism and its effects on its characters. It’s also not preachy about the subject matter, which could have seen there is a religious setting nearby. Instead, we get an honest and touching story that is carried out by Ben Affleck’s performance. In recent interviews he was also honest about his real-life struggles with alcohol, so everything feels authentic. 

Sports are hardly even talked about, so some fans of this genre will find that disappointing. The games aren’t shot in a glamorous way. Everything has a tightness. The camera is usually moving close to the characters with the focus changing at a fast pace. Many cliches of the genre are also skipped. There is no big final game or even a build-up to it. Most of the season pass the story by. 

The drinking issues are front and center with shots of Affleck drinking beers in the shower, and even pouring vodka in a travel mug. Almost every scene he is reaching for a drink. But there is no moralism. No big speeches or blow-ups. Even the third act takes some dark twists. Part of the tension comes from the slow reveal of why Affleck’s character has sunk this low, and some of the answers are truly heartbreaking. There is also some true moments of humor. They may be playing for a religious High School, but the players all feel real and honest. I found myself laughing at some of the colorful uses of foul language during the practices and the games. Affleck timing is still spot on.

When it comes to the 2020 Oscar season, this is easily the best actor chance for Affleck, who delivers one of the hidden gems of the new decade. The rest of the cast also shines with two great performances by Al Madrigal, as the assistant coach, and Brandon Wilson as the star player who soon finds himself.

Warner Brothers release The Way Back on a nice Blu-ray that is sadly lacking in extras. The 1080p HD picture is lovely with all the extra space on the disc giving this a near-perfect image. The colors are vivid, and the focus is sharp. The night-time scenes are especially pleasing on the eye. 

There are three audio choices. The first up is the English Dolby Atmos-True HD mix which sounds great on my home sound system. There is no hiss or pops. The second track is the 2.0 Dolby Digital mix which is slightly quieter. Finally, the third track is an English descriptive track. It includes English, French, and Spanish subtitle choices.

Extras are sadly limited with

• The Way Back: This Sporting Life: A brief video with Director Gavin O’Connor and Affleck, who discuss Sports and life issues.
• Every Loss is Another Fight: A Video that is focused on the alcoholism elements of the story.

The Way Back is a striking character study that is one of Ben Affleck’s best roles in years. For fans of Sports movies, you find it too dark, but if you give it a chance I think you’ll be pleased. Highly Recommended. 

Director- Gavin O’Connor

Cast- Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Brandon Wilson

Country of Origin- US

Discs- 1

Distributor- Warner Brothers

Reviewer- Tyler Miller