Cinema Boston's World Cup of Film: Knockout Round

 Cinema Boston’s World Cup of Film: Knockout Round

Hello and welcome to Cinema Boston. I am your host David, and the real World Cup is well into their knockout round, so Cinema Boston better get going!

Our first episode in this series featured the Group Stage where each of the 12 groups of four was whittled down to either three or two countries, following the World Cup model.

A reminder that we’re not deciding this World Cup of Film with a country’s “body of work,” which we did the first time we tried this four years ago.

Instead, we will base each matchup on the most recent film I’ve seen from that country, so the hopes of an entire nation will be resting on ONE movie!

As expected, THREE countries (South Africa, Canada, and the United States) have had their Group Stage films REPLACED ALREADY!

Some for the better, and some for the worse, but that’s the way things go when you make up your own rules of engagement.

This entire enterprise is, of course, preposterous.

Movies can be so completely different, so it’s definitely an Apple v. Orange debate.

Toy Story vs. Eraserhead, which moves on?! How can you compare those?

How about John Wick vs. Schindler’s List? Where do you start?

Same thing with The Devil and Daniel Webster and The Devil in Miss Jones.

So, this is all admittedly done in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

Sixteen matchups for you today and THREE of our Cinematic pairings mirrored the actual matchups on the pitch, which was fun.

We’ll see if art mirrors soccer.

This is our second of three episodes, as our next one will go through the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final, so stay tuned for that one.

Here we go!

Cinema Boston’s World Cup of Film: Knockout Round!

Czech Republic Spaceman (2024) 👍 Adam Sandler and an alien spider become friends in space

Vs.

New Zealand The Quiet Earth (1985) 👍 Dystopian sci-fi about a scientist alone in the world

Kicking off with a battle of sci-fi movies, and in the 39 years between the making of The Quiet Earth and Spaceman, sci-fi movies got a little better. The Czechs advance.

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Switzerland Sew Torn (2024) 👍 A seamstress makes that age old movie mistake of picking up that briefcase of money at a crime scene

Vs.

Jordan Theeb (2014) 👍 Coming of age story of a young Bedouin boy during WWI

We loved Sew Torn so much that the poor little Bedouin boy didn’t have a chance. Switzerland will move on.

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Brazil The Secret Agent (2025) 👍 4ON! In 1977 Brazil, a technology expert is forced into hiding

Vs.

Tunisia The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) 👍ON! Docudrama about a 6-year-old girl’s calls for help pleading for rescue while under IDF fire

Oscar nominee vs. Oscar nominee, so this was a difficult matchup. It goes to “extra time,” but Brazil and The Secret Agent will advance.

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United States Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (2016) How many B&C list celebrities can YOU cram into the same movie?! (A lot!)

Vs.

Haiti When the Drum is Beating (2011) 👍 Music doc about a 20-member band who has been making music for 62 years

The film representing the United States changed several times over the course of this project, and when the wheel stopped spinning, it landed on a Sharknado movie!  I’m in the process of watching all of them in two days, and they’re growing on me. The United States advances even though they were playing a man down, cinematically. 

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Ecuador Maria Full of Grace (2004) ON! Story of a pregnant teenage drug mule 

Vs.

Australia Thrash (2026) Shark movie with some very questionable marine science

At work last week Courtney said, “I watched the WORST shark movie last night!” and I immediately responded, “Was it Thrash?” She was stunned, I was not, Ecuador moves on.

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Netherlands Amsterdamned  (1988) 👍 Serial killer working the canals of Amsterdam 

Vs.

Scotland Dog Soldiers (UK: 2002) 👍 Scottish werewolves - that’s all you need to know for now

Unlike the real Dutch team, this Netherlands (and Amsterdamned) advance!

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Egypt The Square (2013) 👍 ON! Satire about a controversial art exhibit

Vs.

Senegal Sembene! (2015) 👍 Documentary about African freedom fighter Ousmane Sembene whose weapons were his stories

I keep mentioning a disturbing sequence in The Square, and since it’s moving on, I may tell you about that next time. 

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Saudi Arabia Alkhallat+ (2022) 👍 Anthology film about social deception and trickery

Vs.

Argentina Argentina, 1985 (2022) 👍 ON!  about lawyers taking on the countries’ military dictatorship

There was something about Alkhallat+ that boosts it past Argentina’s political thriller. Saudi Arabia advances.

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Norway Sentimental Value (2025) 👍 OW! International Feature Film about family, movies, and art

Vs.

Sweden Trouble (2024) 👍 Actioner with a wrongfully accused man being mistaken for a pilot

Swedish action-comedy no match for an Oscar winner. Norway and Sentimental Value move on.

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Algeria Days of Glory (2006) 👍 Four North African men enlist in the French army during WWII

Vs.

Uruguay Blanes Esquina Muller (2020) 👍 A man moves in with his new girlfriend and is then visited by his future self warning him about her

I still don’t know how to pronounce it, but I’m also still wishing this Uruguayan fantasy was real.

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Colombia Bad Lucky Goat (2017) 👍 Two incompatible teen siblings need to fix things when they accidentally kill a bearded goat with their father’s truck

Vs.

Cape Verde Cabralista (2011) 👍 Documentary about political activist Amilcar Cabral

It was once part of a Best of the Month episode, so the Bad Lucky Goat and Colombia will move on.

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England* A Night to Remember (1958) 👍  The Titanic story as experienced by surviving crew & passengers - 39 yrs. before Cameron

Vs.

DR Congo* Benda Bilili! (2010) 👍 Another music doc, this one about paraplegic street musicians

A Night to Remember just made last month’s Best list, and it and England edges DR Congo to advance. (England also won the soccer match!)

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South Africa* They Will Kill You (2026) 👍 The flaming axe movie we JUST talked about in our B&W of June episode! 

Vs.

Canada* Undertone  (2026) 👍 A young woman caring for her comatose mother starts experiencing strange things in the house

This was the best matchup of this round! Both South Africa and Canada saw their movies replaced after the Group Stage by movies I loved! They Will Kill You made last month’s Best of list and Undertone will be making July’s Best list! This one went to penalty kicks before Canada and Undertone pulled it out. (Canada also won the soccer match!)

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Paraguay Landfill Harmonic (2015) 👍 Music doc about the Recycled Orchestra who makes instruments out of recycled trash 

Vs.

Iran Our Uniform (2023) 👍 ON! Animated short about a young girl and her school uniform

This was another difficult decision, but Paraguay’s Landfill Harmonic will be advancing.

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Germany Brick (2025)            Another creepy apt. Building movie - this one is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall

Vs. 

France All Boys Are Called Patrick (1959) 👍 21 minutes of Godard w/two college girls getting hit on by the same guy on the same day

This was NOT a difficult decision! Brick was absurd, and Godard is not.

Unless he wanted to be.

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Portugal* Ice Merchants (2022)  👍             ON! Animated short about a man and his son parachuting off a cliff every day to sell the ice they produce 

Vs.

Croatia* The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (2024) ON! short where a passenger train is stopped by paramilitary forces during an ethnic cleansing operation

Another battle of Oscar nominees! Both shorts. A tough call, but we’re going with Portugal and Ice Merchants. (Portugal also won the soccer match!)

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        Well, that is a wrap for the Knockout Round of Cinema Boston’s World Cup of Film!

Only 16 films and countries remain, and our final episode in the series will crown our champion!

We hope you return for that, and until then, enjoy the soccer, and take care.