Film

The Keeper

Name: The Keeper
Genre: Drama, War, History
Released: 2018
Cast: David Kross, Freya Mavor, John Henshaw, Gary Lewis, Harry Melling

Drama

A true-story drama about Bert Trautmann, a German POW who became Manchester City's goalkeeper and won over post-war Britain through sheer talent and character. It's a quietly moving film about redemption, belonging, and how sport can transcend hatred. For anyone drawn to underdog stories with real stakes and the particular magic of football cinema.

TMDb rating

3.7

If you liked this

Darkest Hour2017

Gary Oldman's Churchill navigating impossible choices during WWII's darkest moment. Like The Keeper, it finds humanity in historical conflict and asks what leadership means when everything feels lost.

But Period-piece dialogue can feel mannered, and the film occasionally prioritizes sentiment over political complexity. It's also very much a 'great man' story.

Cinderella Man2005

Russell Crowe as a Depression-era boxer clawing back from ruin. Same emotional engine as The Keeper: a working man proving his worth through skill and integrity, with a love story anchoring everything.

But Ron Howard can be heavy-handed with uplift, and the film occasionally tips into sentimentality. Some may find the boxing sequences repetitive.

The Imitation Game2014

Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, an outsider whose genius matters more than his past. Both films explore how individuals transcend prejudice through undeniable ability and quiet dignity.

But The film fudges historical details and can feel like standard biopic beats. Turing's story deserves better than occasional Hollywood softening.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Keeper

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Kes1970

Both trust their audience to find profound emotion in the smallest gestures. Both centre on protagonists trying to prove their worth to people who've already decided their verdict. Both are about being seen.

Ken Loach's film about a Yorkshire schoolboy and his hawk. Same working-class dignity and quiet power; same belief that ordinary people contain extraordinary depths. A masterpiece about seeing someone truly.

But It's bleak and offers no redemption arc. If you want uplift, you won't find it—the ending is deliberately crushingly unfair.

Race2016

Stephan James as Jesse Owens challenging Nazi ideology through athletic excellence. It shares The Keeper's interest in sport as a moral force and how individuals navigate hatred through performance.

But The film doesn't always dig as deep into its themes as it might, and some supporting characters feel sketch. Pacing drags in the middle section.

Bridge of Spies2015

Spielberg's Cold War thriller about negotiating between enemies. Like The Keeper, it's fundamentally about individuals refusing hatred and finding common ground across ideological chasms.

But It's deliberately measured and procedural—some find it slow. The emotional peaks are muted rather than cathartic.

The King's Speech2010

Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth in a story about overcoming profound personal obstacles to lead. Both films find drama in quiet determination and the courage it takes to be vulnerable.

But It won Best Picture and feels a bit establishment-sanctioned now. The stakes are personal rather than historical, which some find less gripping.

Joyeux Noel2005

A French film about the Christmas Truce of 1914, when enemies laid down arms together. It shares The Keeper's faith that shared humanity can puncture even the worst conflict.

But It's more sentimental than The Keeper, leaning into miraculous moments. The subtitles and ensemble cast mean character development is thin.

The Damned United2009

Michael Sheen as Brian Clough trying to transform Leeds United. Both are about outsiders proving themselves through competence and force of personality in sports settings.

But It's more interested in swagger than soul, and some scenes feel like padding. The football sequences aren't particularly inspired.

Captain America: The First Avenger2011

Chris Evans as a scrappy underdog rising to save the day through integrity rather than cynicism. Like Trautmann, Steve Rogers wins people over by refusing to compromise who he is.

But It's a comic-book film with all that entails—plot exists to service spectacle. If you want intimacy and character depth, you'll find them diluted here.

Captain America: The First Avenger poster

Next Goal Wins2023

Both understand that sports stories are really about communities refusing to accept the verdict the world has given them. Both see underdog status as a starting point, not a conclusion.

Taika Waititi's comedy about American Samoa's hopeless football team. It has The Keeper's faith in sport as moral redemption, but filters it through absurdist humour and warmth instead of drama.

But Waititi's comedy sensibility won't appeal to everyone, and the film occasionally mistakes whimsy for depth. It never quite lands the emotional gut-punch it reaches for.

The Act of Killing2012

The Keeper begins with a German man carrying Nazi guilt into a hostile country. This film asks the question The Keeper only implies: what happens to perpetrators of atrocity? Can they ever truly face what they've done?

A documentary where Indonesian death-squad perpetrators re-enact their own atrocities. Brutal and utterly necessary. Like The Keeper, it asks whether someone can be redeemed, but refuses easy answers.

But It's profoundly disturbing and sometimes hard to watch. The re-enactments are grotesque. It doesn't provide catharsis or moral closure.