Moneyball (2011)

Moneyball (2011) is a measured, intelligent sports drama based on Michael Lewis’s book about how Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) fights the economics of baseball by using sabermetrics — computer-driven statistical analysis — to build a competitive team on a shoestring budget. When the A’s lose three star players to free agency, Beane hires the quiet, brainy Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), and together they pursue undervalued players whose on-base skills add up to wins even if they lack traditional scouting appeal. Their approach provokes fury from longtime scouts and friction with manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman), producing both boardroom showdowns and moral dilemmas about the game’s future. Seeing the movie, you’ll experience a thoughtful blend of behind-the-scenes strategy and human drama rather than an overblown sports spectacle. The film mixes tense negotiation scenes, wry humor, and quiet character moments with on-field sequences that feel earned — you’re watching innovation and stubborn tradition collide. Pitt delivers a restrained, charismatic lead performance; Hill brings an awkward, persuasive intellect; Hoffman embodies managerial resistance. Bennett Miller’s direction keeps the tone grounded, focused more on the ideas and interpersonal stakes than triumphant montage clichés. Overall, Moneyball is an underdog story about reinvention, risk, and changing the rules of a deeply traditional sport. It’s engaging for baseball fans and non-fans alike: expect smart dialogue, ethical ambiguity, and the slow-building suspense of whether an unconventional plan will overcome financial realities and entrenched beliefs.

Actors: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill

Director: Bennett Miller

Runtime: 133 min

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport

6.7 /10 87 /100 7.6 /10 7.7 /10