FAITH, FAMILY, AND FOOTBALL
While major film studio companies like Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Universal have dominated the movie landscape for years with their plethora of notable releases, smaller studios have emerged, with a more niche preferences….religious evangelical cinematic narratives. These “faith-based” studios offer more than just filmmaking entertainment, but rather enlightening tales of courage and faith around the Christian belief that’s wrapped around a motion picture. Studios like Kendrick Brothers Productions, Affirm Films, Pinnacle Peak Pictures, and Kingdom Story Company. One such company is Angel Studios, which was been around for several years, releasing various projects on both the big and small screen. This includes Homestead, Sound of Freedom, and The Chosen just to name a few. Now, following their summer releases of The Last Rodeo and The Sketch, Angel Studios and director Rob Lurie present the studio’s latest cinematic offering with the sports drama release of The Senior. Does this movie go for the touchdown win with its “based on a true story” narrative or is a big loss that pushes too much faith-based syrupiness into the gridiron sport?
THE STORY
In the 1970s, Mike Flynt (Shawn Patrick Clifford) loved playing football, taking his love of the game to Sul Ross State University, on a mission to impress his tough dad, J.V. (James Badge Dale). However, when an incident involving anger issues ends Mike’s sporting career, his life takes a different path. In 2007, Mike (Michael Chiklis), who is now married to Eileen (Mary Stuart Masterson) and has had their children already grown, is invited to a college reunion, hesitantly accepting a chance to reconnect with his past, only to find old friends and the spark of a crazy idea. Realizing his aborted senior year still makes him eligible to play, Mike decides to take a chance, finishing his college education, while pleading for an opportunity to get back on the field as a player. With some convincing from current Sul Ross’s head coach Sam Westion (Rob Corddry), Mike suits back up as a 59-year-old linebacker surrounded by much younger men, which draws friendship with some and ire from others. Meanwhile, Eileen has her concerns, and their son Micah (Brandon Flynn) remains distant, but Mike rides his determination through tryouts, aching to prove himself and restore what was lost a long time ago.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
Over the years since I’ve started movie review blogging, I’ve covered several faith-based dramas out there and I found most of them appealing to me. Yes, many aren’t exactly original or ultra-engaging like the mainline studios releases, with most having a commonplace thread of being overly familiar and predictable, while also having spiritual aspect of a person’s faith and belief. As I’ve watched (and reviewed) all of these reviews, I began taking note of the various film’s studios that usually produce such narratives, with Angel Studios being a bit more of a recent ones. To be more honest, I just recently discovered them. I mean….I know of their work on The Chosen TV series as well as the movie Sound of Freedom, but I didn’t start seeing their releases until this year with The King of Kings and The Last Rodeo. That being said, Angel Studios seems to be a forth to be reckoned with within the Christian evangelical filmmaking arena. And it doesn’t look like they are stopping anytime soon.
This brings me back to talking about the movie The Senior, a 2025 sports drama and the latest cinematic offering from Angel Studios. To be quite honest, I didn’t really know much about this movie until a week before its release. It’s true. Didn’t hear anything about online or on social media. It sort of just “sprang up” from nowhere. I actually got the film’s movie trailer in theaters when I went to go see Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale a week prior to the feature’s release. From what was shown in the preview, it looked interesting. I do like Michael Chilkis as an actor and the story did seem appealing to me, especially since it was based on a true story. So, I actually decided to go and check this movie a few weeks after its initial releases, which was around September 18th, 2025. I had to work on a few other reviews to get done first before tackling this one and, with those out of the way, I am ready to share my thoughts on The Senior.
And what did I think of it? Well, I liked it. Despite some of its subplots being rushed and not fully examined enough, The Senior is still elevated by a strong message of second chances and redemption through the cinematic lens of college gridiron and family. It may be predictable to a certain degree, but it’s the wholesome journey from onset to conclusion that make this endeavor a solid “feel good” movie.
The Senior is directed by Rob Lurie, whose previous directorial works includes The Last Castle, Resurrecting the Champ, Straw Dogs. Given his wide range of diversity of various film genres he’s covered in his career thus far, Lurie does seem a little bit of an odd choice to helm a project like this. That being said, I was quite surprised how much that the movie finds a nice rhythm to it and how Lurie was able to achieve. Yes, there is faith-based overtones in the movie, which I will touch upon in a little bit, but the movie isn’t just solely about that. There’s plenty of favoring of family and football throughout the entire project, with Lurie balancing those elements. Given the fact that the movie is half-presented as a sports drama, there is a sense of a “underdog” feeling that Lurie channels while shaping the movie, which is a good thing. And who doesn’t love a good “underdog” story? I sure do. I’ve always been a sucker for those. Additionally, the football angle is always present and is the main focus, especially when considering Flynt’s second chance opportunity and it definitely works. Lurie knows what type of a movie he is making and definitely hones in many aspects that viewers are looking for in Flynt’s tale.
Of course, The Senior’s main themes and message is indeed palpable and will tug on the heartstrings, showcasing Mike Flynt’s story of redemption and his personal journey back onto the college football field, while also confront some past choices that shaped him. It is very deep thoughts and poignancy within this tale, especially one of the human condition, including parental figures, raising children, and personal faith. It also touches upon the classic “underdog” narrative, with Lurie taking Flynt’s story and encapsulating the thematic message of redemption and going back to change reclaim that “missed opportunity” that defined his life’s trajectory. All in all, you are never too old to claim your glory.
Naturally, this is where the film leans into the more “faith-based” drama endeavor, with several key moments displaying those moments with heart and sincerity that will surely resonate with many viewers out there. Lurie does certainly nail those sequences correctly. Furthermore, unlike similar faith-based dramas out there, those moments don’t get “too preachy” or too “on the nose” when trying to convey those scenes. Yes, it is interwoven throughout the feature, but it isn’t so heavy-handed that it becomes too much of a distraction and / or preaching to the choir.
Additionally, Lurie does make the movie have a good a steady pace to it. With a runtime of 99 minutes, The Senior moves at solid and brisk pace, never feeling elongated or going on a tangent for too long. This, of course, does create a little bit “double edge sword” mantra when trying to juggle many of the various subplots fully (more on that below), but Lurie makes the movie move at a decent pace that never feels like its bogged down, keeping the feature lean and never bloated with superfluous nunaces.
For its presentation, The Senior is what you would expect from this type of endeavor, which is a more even-keel setting of the rural real world aesthetics. Naturally, from one glance, the production budget doesn’t have a studio tentpole or summer blockbuster flair and expenses. But it doesn’t need to be. With a budget of only $5 million, Lurie and his team smartly utilize their money and do certainly help sell the film’s background. Naturally, the movie’s story doesn’t need elaborate set pieces and locales, but Lurie and his “behind the scenes” team, including Bart Bryant and Jake Herron (art direction), Lelia Dallal (production design), Tyler Corie (set decorations), and Kiley Ogle (costume design) provide plenty of pleasing nuances to make the Texan setting sing in the background throughout all the various locations and places for the feature.
Additionally, the cinematography work by Tucker Korte is pretty good and helps sell some of the feature’s more dynamic and dramatic sequences to heighten the feature’s narrative and presentation. It won’t win any type of awards, but I participate Korte’s talents in the picture. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Larry Groupe, hits all the right notes and musical compositions throughout the feature, with soft dialogue sentimentality and rousing dramatic moments. Like the cinematography, Groupe’s score won’t win any type of awards, but gets the job done and helps sells the more tender and poignant moments in the movie.
While its presentation and thematic message are full-on display with sincerity and meaning, The Senior does fall prey to some criticism within its shaping and undertaking that, while not making derailing the story being told, just holds it back from fleshing everything out. How so? Well, perhaps the “big elephant in the room” is how predictable the movie. Even without much insight into the true story behind Michael Flynt, it was easy to piece together how everything is going to play out. For faith-based movies, that’s usually the case and the “name of the game” when crafting motion pictures of a similar vein. Don’t get me wrong, the movie’s story is still good, but it’s nothing new or original, following a predictable trajectory that many could see coming. I sort of knew that this was going to be the case when I started watching the film, so it didn’t bother me as much. Still, those expecting something radically different from a plethora of other faith-based movies out there, will be disappointed, with Lurie never really challenging The Senior to be elevated it beyond a paint-by-numbers TV movie project.
Perhaps my biggest complaint is that the film’s story doesn’t fully encompass all the secondary plots threads that are woven into the main one. While central plot of Michael Flynt’s journey is easy to follow and thematically dutiful to the film’s core, there is a lot of subplots and characters in the script that don’t exactly pan out smoothly or well-drawn out. Sure, the script, which was penned by Robert Eisele, provides plenty of context to the whole situation that Mike Flynt finds himself in, yet there’s a lot of “missed opportunities” to fully capture various plot threads that are circling around the main narrative. Michael’s life and those he interacts with. His “tough” relationship with his own father, his rocky relationship with Micah, his adversity / camaraderie with the younger college football players, his classes during his senior year….all of these narrative threads are presented, yet never really are drawn out fully. Additionally, some of the same threads aree hurried along in such a rushed manner that the script (as well as Lurie) didn’t know how to either presented them the right way or conclude them, hastily rushing to ending that doesn’t hit all the right notes correctly for those threads to be fully satisfying.
The cast in The Senior is pretty good, with many (if not all) of the acting talent involved getting into their characters the right way and making pleasing for their respective parts. The acting level is nothing Oscar-worthy, but, for this type of project, it definitely works. Perhaps the one downside is what I mentioned earlier about the subplots and certain characters aren’t fully fleshed out correctly and /or accordingly to the feature’s runtime. That being said, I did like the actors and actresses throughout the movie.
Leading the charge in the movie is actor Michael Chiklis, who plays the central protagonist character of Michael Flynt. Known for his roles in Fantastic Four, The Shield, and The Commish, Chiklis has indeed have had a great career on both the small and big screen and is certainly an actor I do like in many of his various character roles. Thus, I was definitely keen to see what Chiklis would do with the character of Mike Flynt in this movie as he was one of the primary reasons why I went to see The Senior. To his credit, Chiklis does a fantastic job in the role. There is no doubt about it that Chiklis definitely carries the movie on his shoulders and the actor is quite capable of doing so, with Lurie position him correctly with his co-stars. Chiklis is literally the perfect fit for a cinematic representation of Mike Flynt, showcasing the middle-aged man whose a bit rough around the edges and filled with regret and seeking a second chance in life. Chiklis sells out those emotional and dramatic beats beautifully and is solid in the role. Plus, the character of Mike Flynt is the most fleshed out and, while certain plot threads with other characters he interacts with could’ve been fleshed out, Chiklis is still fantastic in the role.
Following Chiklis, the movie does shine a light on two particular characters involving Mike’s journey, with the first being his son, Micah Flynt, who is played by actor Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why and True Detective), and the second being his wife, Eileen Flynt, who is played by actress Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes and Bad Girls). Flynn is great at selling the frustration and (at times) uncomfortable interactions with his dad, showcasing the rigid relationship between Mike and Micah. I definitely think that this part could’ve been expanded upon a bit more, but there is enough material to get the job done. Likewise, Masterson is fantastic as Eileen, providing plenty of warmth and concern for Chiklis’s Mike to play around with and there various conversations of comfort, distress, and frustration. Could there been more than just the “concerned wife” character? Yes, but what’s given suffices for the feature’s main story.
The rest of the Flynt clan, including actress Gail Cronauer (Landman and The Vast of Night) and actor James Badge Dale (13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi and The Pacific) as Mike’s parents Pat and J.V. Flynt respectfully. Some of these characters are there for continuity reasons, while others are there for one or two emotional drama moments. Again, I think this is where some of the characters could’ve more expanded upon, but, for what the talent brings, I think that these performances were good in their limited screen time.
As a side-note, actor Shawn Patrick Clifford (Station 19 and 13 Reasons Why) and actress Taylor Fono (Sisters for Life and Hero Mask) as the younger versions of Mike and Eileen Flynt respectfully.
Looking beyond the Flynt family, the movie shines an interesting character light on actor Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine and Office Christmas Party) who plays Coach Sam Weston. Known for his more comedic roles, Corddry does seem like an odd choice to play such a character like a college football coach in a faith-based drama. That being said, I do have to say that Corddry does a pretty good job in holding his own in the role. The performance has the natural sports coach mantra, equally matching the serious, gruff, and stern sports college mindset, with a splash of Corddry’s talent of subtle dry humor. The character of Coach Weston is a straightforward supporting character, with little to no mystery, playing exactly how you would imagine the role. Still, Corddry handles himself well, especially with Chiklis in the scene together.
Likewise, the rest of the younger cast, including actor Chris Becerra (Atropia) as Fernie Acosta, actor Corey Knight (We Are Who We Are and Nobodies) as Jeremy Cartwright, actor Terayle Hill (Cobra Kai and Judas and the Black Messiah) as Jamal Johnson, and actor Chris Setticase (Safety and Paterno) as Hank Stanton are good at playing their respective college football players roles. The character themselves do run into the problem of a lot of various subplots that aren’t fully explored or rushed in hastily manner, but the acting talent involved are solid in their respective roles.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Everyone deserves a second chance as Mike Flynt gets his, returning to the college gridiron sports in his middle age years to redeem himself both on the field and off in the movie The Senior. Director Rob Lurie’s latest film takes a cinematic lens and shines it on the true life story of Mike Flynt and his “ultimate comeback” story of returning to the college football field and confronting past decisions in his life. While the movie does follow a predictable path of faith-based dramas out there as well as hurrying through some secondary subplots and characters, the film still manages to rise to the occasion and come out on top, with special thanks to some of Lurie’s direction, a powerful message that doesn’t become too preachy, a good real-world rural Texas presentation, good dynamics of football and family, and a likeable cast across the board. Personally, I liked this movie. It wasn’t revolutionary different from similar features and I would’ve liked to explore a bit more with the secondary narrative threads and characters, but it was still meaningful and heartfelt to watch. I’m always a sucker for those “feel good” movies that almost like comfort food, easy to follow and to digest, while also carrying a poignant message. Plus, I did like Chiklis in the movie and certainly knew how to carry the project when it needed to be. It poignant and meaningful. As such, my recommendation for this movie is both a solid “recommended” for fans of those “feel good” dramas out there as well as favorable “rent it” for others out there. The movie should be at least seeing by once by all. It’s definitely a solid endeavor. In the end, The Senior, while not the most original feature film out there, still definitely has the gumption and heart in the right place, providing thematic message that second chance do coming around and that redemption (both outward and from within) is always within reach…no matter how old you are, echoing back to the classic saying of faith, family, and football.
4.0 Out of 5 (Recommended / Rent It)
The Official Website for The Senior Link: HERE
Released On: September 19th, 2025
Reviewed On: October 20th, 2025
The Senior is 99 minutes long and is rated PG for thematic content, violence, language, and a suggestive reference
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