Reviews

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  ★★★★★ review by Slappy McGee on Letterboxd

  I do freely admit that you probably have to be a baseball fan to FULLY treasure this film... but... a treasure it indeed is! This is a remarkable baseball documentary.

  From the talking heads of old sports legends jawing about the good ol' days, to the "young pups" of the game dispensing their views, to genuine physicists relating (very plainly) the mechanics of this type of pitch, FASTBALL is captivating from beginning to end.

  The use of slow-motion photography is EXTREMELY well-used and helps to tell the story. (Super smart direction choice). I joked that it was the best use of the slow-motion camera since Jackass 3. Heh.

  Also, the archive footage use combined with the graphics to clearly illustrate the points of the various ballplayers and scientists is cleverly woven into the film. Such a great blend of "old" and "new" in telling a story about a pitch that is the very fabric of this century-old American pastime. Just amazing editing and directorial choices.

  This is a MUST-SEE for every baseball fan. And if you are just a casual sports fan you will also really enjoy it. If you hate baseball or sports in general... time to go watch Jennifer Lawrence sell mops.

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  ★★★★★ review by Michael Vazquez on Letterboxd

  This may be me being biased of my love for Baseball & the fact I don't watch a lot of documentaries though I do watch ones that interest me but this is one of the greatest documentaries i've seen in recent memory. It's unique, very engaging, well-told & absolutely terrific!

  An amazing doc about the history behind the most popular pitch in baseball: the fastball. The debates of who throws the fastest fastball, the science behind, the pitchers, etc.

  It's amazing, the last 20 minutes or so includes some of the most engaging & powerful scenes of the year. Oscars snubbed "Listen to Me Marlon" last year, I pray that they don't do the same thing with this one!

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  ★★★½ review by Boy Roarbison [fka Nag Champion] on Letterboxd

  Nolan Ryan is the greatest pitcher of all-time. Period.
  
  I love you, Bob Gibson. No offense. But, come on.
  
  Ditto to Sandy Koufax.

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  ★★★½ review by Cosmic Sentry on Letterboxd

  A very interesting look into baseball's most standard and frequently overpowering pitch.

  It's takes a neat look into the history of the pitch, some of the best flamethrowers in the history of the game, and how pitch velocity and movement was able to be tracked in the early days.

  It's truly remarkable what pitchers put themselves through and how hard some players can really throw.

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  ★★★★ review by Larissa Pray on Letterboxd

  Tim, if you happen to read this - I finally watched this and absolutely loved it. I learned so much about my favorite sport. I really enjoyed traveling through baseball time to see who people thought were the greatest of all time.

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