‘The Way Back’ (2020) – A Non-Spoiler Review

Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck), is going through a rough patch in his life when he’s called to coach the high school basketball team he once played for. As he works on improving the team, he is also given opportunities to work on improving his life.

I was first introduced to Gavin O’Connor’s work with The Accountant back in 2016 and I loved that movie! So, I went into The Way Back with high expectations and I was not disappointed! I think Mr. O’Connor did a great job handling this film from the cinematography choices to exposition, which I will touch on throughout this article.

Director of photography Eduard Grau did a very impressive job, as well. Not only was the lighting, framing, and movement cinematic, but it also felt in tune with the main character and his story. 

Composer Rob Simonson nailed the score! Not only did the tone of his music fit perfectly, but the placement and timing were fantastic! Sometimes music helps, sometimes it’s better to go without, and they knew exactly when to include music and when not to.

Ben Affleck gives his all in this movie. His character is going through a rough patch and you can really feel that through Affleck’s performance. But he isn’t lacking in support! The whole supporting cast is quite talented and they all have fantastic chemistry with Affleck, causing no issue on the subject of acting.

This movie’s driving force is the Jack Cunningham character and his growth, so getting that right was the make or break point for this movie. Luckily, they got it very right! One could say that his development is a bit cliche, which I could agree with, but I think what makes his development so good in my eyes is the exposition. I won’t go into detail, but when and how they reveal portions of his past is unique and causes more impact on the audience. 

I will say I think the relationships between characters were written in a somewhat textbook manner, but that doesn’t really hurt my feelings on the subject as much as it usually would, probably because that issue is smaller than the overall good of the film.

Probably the biggest issue I have with this movie is the fact that the plot is nothing new. However, you’ve probably noticed at this point that the film has some unique exposition and that helps ease the pain of a cliche plot for sure. Honestly, my thoughts on the plot and writing are no different from my thoughts on character development. It’s cliche, but the exposition and timing are so good that it’s easy to forget about the overused story. 

On top of all this, the pacing wasn’t bad, either. The flow was pretty solid, so paired with the great acting and writing, I was always invested.

Overall, The Way Back is a pretty solid film! The biggest issue I have with it is the cliche story, but the unique execution along with the fantastic performance from Ben Affleck makes it very easy to forgive that issue and get a lot of enjoyment from this film. 

9/10

Have you seen The Way Back? Are you planning to check it out? Let me know in the comments!

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