‘Rapinoe’ Review: Doc Portrait of American Soccer Icon Is Engaging and Inspiring, if Necessarily Incomplete
"Rapinoe," a new documentary by filmmaker Rebeca Huntt premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, offers an intimate portrait of US soccer icon Megan Rapinoe following her retirement from playing in 2023. The film aims to go beyond her well-documented career achievements to capture her in a period of personal transition, succeeding largely thanks to Huntt's relaxed directorial approach and Rapinoe's naturally charismatic on-screen presence, though its timing means it cannot yet show what comes next for her.
The 92-minute film moves chronologically through Rapinoe's life using home movies, news footage, match clips and interviews, covering familiar milestones such as her World Cup and Olympic wins, coming out, the equal pay campaign against the US men's team, and her support for Colin Kaepernick. Contributions from her parents, twin sister Rachael and former partner Sue Bird add warmth, while Rapinoe's own candour—including reflections on "disassociation" as both a protective mechanism and an emotional barrier—provides the film's most revealing thread, though the review notes it stops short of fully exploring what this means or how her outlook has changed since starting therapy.
- Documentary "Rapinoe" premieres at TIFF, reviewed as engaging but incomplete
- Charts her career and life following 2023 retirement from playing
- Praised for intimacy, criticised for lacking depth on personal insights