The Way Back

Jack Cunningham was once a promising high school basketball player with a college scholarship in reach, but he walked away from the sport and from the future it seemed to promise. Years later he is stuck in a dead-end job, drinking heavily, and his marriage has fallen apart. When he is asked to coach the basketball team at his old school, he agrees reluctantly. The squad is not expected to accomplish much, but as the players begin to work together and win games, Jack starts to confront the problems that have consumed his life.

The film is directed by Gavin O'Connor, working from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby. It is the sixth of the seven features O'Connor has directed, arriving between The Accountant and The Accountant², and it continues his interest in stories about damaged people seeking a way forward, following Miracle, Pride and Glory, Warrior and Jane Got a Gun. Ben Affleck leads the cast as Jack, alongside Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar, Glynn Turman and Melvin Gregg.

Released in March 2020, the drama runs 108 minutes and was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures with Bron Studios, Pearl Street Films and Mayhem Pictures. Made for about 23 million USD, it took in roughly 15 million USD worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds 6.7/10 from around 56,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.6/10 from over 1,300 votes, while a critics' rating stands at 6.8/10 from 216 reviews.