Forget your overhyped, big-budget NFL dramas—this is the football doc you actually need to see. Filming has officially wrapped on The Object of the Game, a deep dive into the soul of the sport, directed by Matt Waldeck (Lovely Jackson, I See You). And while the NFL is now synonymous with billion-dollar contracts and NIL deals, this film takes us back to the roots—the grit, the heart, and the Shakespearean tragedy of it all (literally).
At the center of the doc is Chuck “Chico” Kyle, a high school Shakespeare and Chaucer teacher turned football coaching legend. After 50 years at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Kyle is hanging up his whistle, leaving behind a jaw-dropping legacy of 11 state championships and four national titles. Think Friday Night Lights, but swap the melodrama for real stakes and a life philosophy steeped in poetry and humanity. Kyle didn’t just build a football dynasty; he shaped young men’s lives through his lessons on and off the field while turning down lucrative offers to coach at higher levels.
“…not about the glitz and the glam; it’s about why the game matters in the first place.”
Based on Kyle’s book of the same name, The Object of the Game features interviews with some of the biggest names in football: Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, Tony Romo, Sean McVay, Urban Meyer, and even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Their stories, packed with never-before-heard insights and football wisdom, complement gripping behind-the-scenes footage of Kyle’s emotional final season, creating a real-life ode to the sport that feels equally inspiring and heartbreaking. It’s not about the glitz and the glam; it’s about why the game matters in the first place.
With a roster of football royalty—Belichick alone has eight Super Bowl rings—the film’s star power underscores Kyle’s quiet yet monumental influence on the game. Waldeck’s direction (and Zodiac Features’ production muscle) promise an indie doc that’ll shake up the sports genre, blending verité filmmaking with raw emotional power.
This one’s for the real fans. Keep an eye out for the exclusive teaser, and stay tuned—The Object of the Game might just be a reminder that we all need of what football is actually about.
