Commentary: ‘Ballers’ Manages To Be Good And Bad At The Same Time
by Frank Martin
When watching a movie or a television show, viewers are often focused on whether it’s good or bad, but sometimes the answer is more nuanced than that. Stories are never one thing. They can be action pieces, character journeys, romances, and any number of other features to focus on. Sometimes when a show handles multiple things at once, one subject might be more engaging than another. So when viewed in parts, a story can be both good and bad at the same time, which is how the HBO series Ballers presents itself.
The series focuses on ex-NFL player Spencer Strassmore (Dwayne Johnson). After a very successful career, Spencer runs into financial troubles and loses the fortune he accumulated playing football. He even alienated several friends in the process. In order to make up for past wrongs, Spencer seeks to become a financial advisor to other NFL players, hoping to steer them in the right financial direction and avoid the mistakes he made in the past. There are some poignant character moments of reconciliation and also remorse as Spencer’s own aspirations lead him astray.
Because the show deals with fast-living NFL players who make millions of dollars, there is a heavy sense of partying. There’s so much that it’s reminiscent of another HBO show, Entourage. The fast cars and beautiful women can be a distraction from the show’s more engaging subject matter, which is the financial inner workings of both the NFL players and owners. That aspect of the show highlights a very lucrative and high stakes industry where deals are constantly being made in a cutthroat environment. So while the show does have its fair share of ridiculous content, it also contains powerful character moments and fun plot lines that make the bad worthwhile.
Ballers is now streaming on Netflix.
