One Of The Best Sports Movies Ever Made Is A Hidden Gem With 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

The hardest lesson we all learn at some point or another is that we only have so much time. Among the things we can control in our lives, when the sun goes down will never be one of them. The best thing we can do to make every second count within our limited window of opportunity is to exist, as there will always be places to be and things to do. Giving yourself over to a communal experience is ultimately what makes life worth living, especially when an expiration date looms on the horizon.

In “Eephus,” which currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, two local New England rec-league baseball teams gather on a crisp Sunday afternoon to do what they’ve been doing for years. What makes today particularly special is that it marks the end of an era. On this beautiful autumn day, the Riverdogs are set to face off against Adler’s Paint for the final time. Once the game is over, the historic Soldiers Field in Douglas, MA will face demolition in order to make way for a school.

What follows is a hilarious and incredibly touching elegy about a group of amateur players coming to terms with a future that they’re aware can’t be stopped, but are gonna do their best to play ball until the bitter end.

“Eephus” marks the magnificent feature debut from director Carson Lund, who presents this momentous occasion as the kind of tender hangout movie that makes you feel like you’re one of the team. Lund is a New Englander through and through, having emanated from Nashua, NH, and this is his love letter. It feels surreal to see Market Basket products in a film that made it all the way to the Cannes circuit.

The game is set at some undisclosed date in the ’90s not so much on account of nostalgia for the decade itself, but rather to capture a period unobstructed by technological distractions. It’s as if we’re peering through a fixed point in time, as “Eephus” never leaves the purview of Soldiers Field. The players resemble spirits bound to play this game forever. Every now and then, we break from the game to spend time with spectators whose eyewitness accounts lead to some poignant and hilarious observations. “I’ve been watching this for an hour and I still don’t understand baseball,” says a dazed teenager.

I’ve seen “Eephus” twice now and I feel endeared to this tremendous ensemble as they joke about, day drink and reflect on what America’s pastime means to them. They’re not exactly friends, so much as communal fixtures they’ve gotten used to just enough to form a thinly veiled camaraderie. Their well-worn uniforms don’t even match. Baseball is something they just make time for. It’s a routine like everything else. You can see the cracks in their armor, however, in those moments where its unavoidable finality hits certain players harder than others.

In the world of baseball, an eephus is a high-arcing pitch that moves at a stagnant velocity that throws the batter off course. Lund’s film is constructed and paced as such. If this were a traditional sports movie, internal and external factors would arise to present the kind of conflict needed to drive momentum in the game’s final innings. But there’s refreshingly none of that here.

“Eephus” is, first and foremost, a meditation about the creeping inevitability that all things come to an end. It’s not concerned about the grand culmination of the game’s outcome so much as being present in the moment. The film’s screenplay, co-written by Michael Basta, Nate Fisher, and Lund, foregoes dramatic sentimentality for poetic reflection. Both teams make some hilarious cracks about their space being dominated by a school, but there’s no real animosity for the change. It’s just what happens.

Keith William Richards of “Uncut Gems” fame is cast as a central figure in the film’s first half, before having to abruptly leave in the middle of the game. His exit serves as a crucial turning point that drives Lund’s thesis statement home. I can see some audiences being frustrated by the lack of character resolution, but I found it deeply moving. It made it all the harder to see the rest of them go.

Another stand-out is Cliff Blake as Franny, a warm-hearted volunteer scorekeeper who’s been doing this for years out of his love of the game. The proto historian’s pencil markings exist as a physical reminder that a game was played here. No one will be sadder to see it end than him.

It was fitting that the particular screening of “Eephus” I attended was preceded by a near sold-out auditorium’s worth of people cracking their beer cans open at about the same time. The smell wafted throughout the historic Somerville Theater to the extent that it provided a 4D level experience.

I’ll never forget this screening, not just because of the communal laughter and melancholic reflections, but because what followed was one of the most joyously chaotic Q&A’s I’ve ever seen. Esteemed film critic (and my friend) Sean Burns managed to ask some great questions about the film’s production. It’s insane that Lund was able to maintain stellar continuity with over 18 key players present throughout the entire shoot.

But no one anticipated the whirlwind of legendary Red Sox southpaw Bill “Spaceman” Lee, who also makes a guest appearance in the film, being an absolute wildcard on stage. The hall of famer’s hilarious tangents had a captivated audience enrapturing in laughter about his heart attacks, digs at Elon Musk, and picking up hitchhikers on the way to the screening. It was the perfect come down.

There’s no doubt in my mind that “Eephus” is not only one of the best films of 2025, but a confidently directed film that ranks among the best sports movies. It doesn’t matter who won. What matters is that, at this fixed point in time, these players made it happen.

When the game comes to an end, these people will leave the field and go on to live full lives outside of our view. “Eephus” is so warm and alive, granting us this brief window of opportunity to laugh and reflect as one of the team. It sucks to say goodbye but it’s getting late, everyone’s tired and it’s time to go home. Good game.

“Eephus” is currently playing in select theaters nationwide.