Mabo's Big Race is a messy, charming little sprint

Is this thing worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like they were made in a backyard with a camcorder and a dream, you might actually get a kick out of Mabo's Big Race. It is not polished. It is not smooth. But it has this weird, frantic energy that I kind of dug. If you need tight scripts or actors who know how to hit their marks, stay far away. This one is for the folks who like their cinema a little bit broken.

The whole thing centers on a kid just trying to compete in the Olympics. That’s it. That’s the movie. There isn't some grand conspiracy or a deep, dark secret hidden in the track spikes. Just a lot of running and heavy breathing.

The bits that stuck with me

• There is a moment during the middle race where the camera guy clearly trips. They kept it in the final cut. I laughed for a solid minute.
• The extras in the background of the stadium look like they were told to just stand there and think about their grocery lists. Nobody is actually cheering. It is hilariously quiet.
• The kid's shoes change brands between two shots. It is so obvious that I wonder if it was a dare.

It reminded me a bit of the frantic, earnest vibe you get in Making Good. Both movies feel like they’re trying to run a marathon while wearing flip-flops. You want to root for them, but you’re also worried they might collapse at any second.

There is a scene where Mabo is training by jumping over a series of crates. The crates are clearly made of cardboard. One of them actually tips over and slides across the frame, and the actor just keeps going. No cut. No reset. Just pure, unadulterated commitment to the bit. I respect that.

Is it better than High Kickers? Probably not. That movie had actual stunts that looked like they might hurt. Here, the biggest threat is tripping over a loose shoelace. But there is a charm here that is hard to shake off.

I don't know why I watched this. Maybe I just missed the feeling of a movie that doesn't care about being perfect. Sometimes you just want to see a kid run in circles for ninety minutes. 🏃‍♂️

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a movie. But it kept me awake, which is more than I can say for most things I watched this month.