236. GOAT (2026) dir. Tyree Dillihay & Adam Rosette

GOAT eschews the acronym "Greatest of All Time" for the literal: a teenage goat named Will Harris (Caleb McLaughlin) who dreams of changing the game of Roarball, an animalian version of basketball played on rocky, icy, thorny, or burning-hot terrain that's treacherous at best, deadly at worst.He wishes to follow in the paw prints of the G.O.A.T., a black leopard named Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union), whose hometown hero status goes all the way back to Will's childhood. She's the reason for his dedication.After a scrimmage between Will and Roarball star Mane (a deliciously unhinged Aaron Pierre) goes viral, the owner of Jett's team, seeing a promotional opportunity, hires Will to join, giving him the opportunity to prove, once and for all, that "smalls" CAN ball.Whatever ideas you have about how this movie unfolds are likely correct. This story and its characters will never, unlike Will, reinvent the game. But where GOAT earns my respect (yet not my endorsement, let's get that clear) is in its portrayal of basketball culture, Black-borne with influence stretching out to hip-hop, anime and sneaker culture.Each of these avenues allows fans to connect with their found communities, support each other through the collective challenges and triumphs of a beloved game. This identity strengthens over time to become not just fandom, but culture itself. The roots, indeed, run deep.I just wish the story and characters followed suit.Alan Chazaro's GQ article "The Unbreakable Bond Between Anime and the NBA"---Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!