Tigrar

Based on the real-life story of 16-year-old Swedish soccer wunderkind Martin Bengtsson, TIGERS is a rare and refreshing entry into the sports movie genre. Rather than follow the well-worn narrative trajectory of struggle followed by success, the picture looks instead at the considerable cost of excellence. Following a year in the life of a teenager whose dream is realised when he is bought by an Italian club, but who quickly realises that having a hefty price tag doesn’t necessarily improve his own self-worth, the film tackles head on the taboo subject of mental health issues in professional football. A propulsive account of vulnerable young men flung into a world in which failure is a fate worse than death. (Wendy Ide, Screen Daily)