True Spirit is a Netflix original film that depicts the true story of Jessica Watson. Watson, the youngest ever to sail around the world, is brought to the screen here in this biopic. The Australian film received a small theatrical release in Australia in January before landing on Netflix worldwide on Feb. 3, 2023.
I fully recognize that I am not in this film’s target audience. Given this, I have to analyze and approach this film from a different angle compared to most of my reviews here. Ultimately, True Spirit is for families, and its primary goal is to inspire and teach about Jessica Watson’s accomplishments. From that aspect, the film succeeds.
Teagan Croft is really solid as Jessica Watson here, bringing likability and relatability to Watson. She has quite a bit to do and makes the most of her screen time. I buy into her confidence and vulnerability all at the same time. I’d be interested to see what Croft can do with a better script in future films.
Seasoned actor, Cliff Curtis, is also great here as Watson’s mentor, Ben Bryant. His presence is great throughout the film; his relationship with Watson feels extremely natural and genuine. He’s arguably the most fleshed-out and developed character in the film and you genuinely feel for him at times. Curtis’ presence is simply great as Bryant, easily being my favorite aspect of the film.
From a technical standpoint, True Spirit is simply going through the motions. The cinematography is very bland and generally feels uninspired. The same goes for the editing and score. The montages and soundtrack that accompany them are also quite cheesy and derivative. It’s your standard “generic pop song over a montage of the main character doing something” cliché.
I think the main question I have to ask is: “Are kids going to connect with this film?” While of course, Watson’s story is extremely inspiring and important, I simply don’t see that many kids wanting to seek out a film about a young sailor. I feel like it is a very niche occupation overall that very few kids actually seek out stories of. Being someone who is very unfamiliar with the world of sailing, I never had a solid grasp on the importance of this event. As an audience, we are told that this is incredible due to Watson’s age, but that’s about it. Simply put, I don’t think children will find this story that interesting.
The film may have been better suited as a documentary ultimately. Though it would lose the family-friendly aspect that this biopic possesses, I think that it would have been the better route to tell Jessica Watson’s story. Hearing Watson discuss the journey herself would have been much more compelling.
True Spirit is a fine enough family film. Overall, it feels like a Disney Channel original with a higher budget and slightly less charm. While it accomplishes portraying Watson’s story well enough, that’s about it. I never found myself truly caring about the journey much throughout the film. 5 out of 10.
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