Everyone is raving about the latest Netflix docuseries, Beckham, based on the former football player of the same name. As an avid follower of football, I was intrigued to watch it and managed to binge all four episodes in one sitting. (PS: I do not recommend this!)
So, I have thoughts. If I had to summarize my review quickly and decide whether to recommend watching the documentary, I would say yes.
Beckham is worth watching, especially if you’re interested in football. But it is a good watch even if you are not familiar with football. The documentary is straightforward and sufficiently researched, although it has some shortcomings.
Also, just in case you’re a Manchester United fan, this might be a good watch for you as there’s a lot of United fanservice in the docuseries, especially in the first two episodes.
For some time, forget about Onana’s misses and the Premier League table and go back to the good old glory days. Whether or not you’re a Beckham fan, you’ll enjoy the United era.
1. The Pros: Why Beckham is Worth a Shot
First off, let us get to the good part. Beckham is an engaging and entertaining watch with a fast-paced structure. The docuseries includes a lot of unseen footage and great insights from Beckham’s family, friends, and former teammates.
I particularly loved how Fisher explored Beckham’s humble beginning and his tryst with Manchester United. The first two episodes were the highlight for me as the show covered the early days of Beckham’s career quite well.
United’s path to winning the historic treble is also quite inspiring. It made me cry, and I am not even a United fan. I would have liked it more if the episodes included some more present-day footage and insights from Sir Alex, especially about the 1998-99 season, but it makes sense for the series to focus more on Beckham.
David’s relationship with Victoria Beckham and their journey has also been explored quite well. There are also some funny moments here and there, which makes it more entertaining to watch. If you are someone who loved and followed celebrity gossip in the 90s, this will be a boost of nostalgia for you!
The docuseries also highlighted a difficult phase in Beckham’s career after his infamous red card incident in the 1998 World Cup. It was good to hear from a player himself how such incidents might affect them and how Beckham, in particular, dealt with so much hatred from his own countrymen.
David talks about how he went through a phase of clinical depression after the incident. Such experiences are very relevant in the football world even today, as this practice of belittling players or bullying them after an unsuccessful match is a common practice in sports like football.
We seldom understand how much this could affect a player’s mental health. Victoria and David go into detail about how they dealt with the situation in the documentary. It was done sensitively, and I hope we football fans can be more kind to players in the future.
If I have to sum it up, the best part of watching the series is the plethora of emotions it explores. There are a lot of fun moments, tears, debatable instances and many talking points to start a conversation about.
If you want to know about Posh and Becks, the show has something for you. If you want to know more about football in the 90s, you’ve got your pick too. If you want to drown in some nostalgia, Beckham has got you covered with that too.
2. The Cons: Let’s Get to the Yellow Cards
Now that I’m done with the good part, I should admit the docuseries has its limitations.
First of all, the series does not sufficiently cover all aspects of Beckham’s career. His time in Madrid is explored but not in enough detail. The latter part of his career at AC Milan and PSG are also not touched upon. Compared to how the series explores his time at United, it is unable to do justice to the rest of Beckham’s career.
What’s more shocking is that the show completely ignores the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. On both occasions, Beckham was the captain of England. In the 2002 World Cup, he scored the winning penalty against Argentina in the Round of 16.
The docuseries had the chance to explore Beckham’s win against Argentina as a redemption as he was sent off with a red card in the previous World Cup in a game facing the same opponents. But none of that happens.
Another con is that the series explores David’s relationship with Victoria much more than his career, almost mirroring his time as a professional footballer. We hear a lot about how Victoria felt during certain incidents, but not enough from Beckham’s teammates or about his sport.
It also tries to portray Beckham as the better one in most conflicts. In one instance, Victoria criticizes England’s former manager, Glenn Hoddle for not ‘protecting’ her husband, who was ‘just a boy’ back then. While her sentiments do make sense, there’s another side to it that is never explored. But I guess it is better not to expect neutral perspectives in a documentary named after a footballer.
In short, my main complaint is it ended too soon. Beckham is more of a brand and less of a footballer today. As harsh as it sounds, he is remembered more for his skills as a businessman than his skills as a footballer.
I wish the series covered more of that aspect, especially since they hinted at it when David mentioned he wanted a career beyond football, even in his prime.
3. Verdict: The Final VAR Check
To sum it all up, I would give Beckham a thumbs up! Beckham is a good watch if you love football, want to know more about it, or just want a good docuseries to watch.
While it has some shortcomings, if you’re not looking for something too informative, it won’t affect you much. Just don’t expect it to be too technical or delve deeper into football in general because Beckham is known for other things way more than his football, at least now. So, the docuseries also follows suit.
However, it does include a lot of football as well. It goes without saying that you’ll particularly enjoy it if you support the clubs Beckham played for. But if you support good football above all, you’ve got yourself good content.
4. About Beckham
Beckham is a four-part mini documentary series that explores the life and career of one of the most famous and influential footballers of all time, David Beckham.
The documentary, directed by Fisher Stevens and produced by John Battsek, features never-before-seen footage and interviews with Beckham’s family, friends, and former colleagues.
It was released on Netflix on October 4, 2023.
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