The intentions of “High Flying Bird” set themselves apart from most basketball movies almost immediately. In fact, it would be a disservice to call it a basketball movie, as playing the game is not as important to this film but rather, playing the game on top of the game. The film happily sits on top of that narrative. Think “Remember the Titans” or any NBA campaign from the viewpoint of each player’s agent.

“High Flying Bird” is the product of Steven Soderbergh (“Unsane”). The main ambitions of it can be seen right from the first 10 minutes, as it tries to critique society and, more importantly, capitalism, as it affects previously passion-funded industries like sports.

The film follows Ray Burke (Andre Holland, “A Wrinkle in Time”), the quintessential New Yorker. He is always busy, walks fast and would not take off his tie and blazer even if he was attending a pool party. He is also constantly telling others how stupid they are, but thankfully, the writing in these arguments is fun to listen to. The witty edge to each conversation is only bolstered by Holland’s performance, giving his monologues and banter a new dimension that would be lost without that talent.

Sadly, the film does not afford the same depth to its villain, who seems to be a simple “everything wrong with industry” type of guy without a shred of sympathy, with the always-talented Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) wasted with barely any screentime. It gets to the point where he gets on expensive private jets with his nasty wife and purebred dog while ignoring the plight of the players beneath him.

The underlying tone can be a bit ham-fisted as well, feeling less like the actors are debating the issue and more that one is a strawman and the other is a verbal Hercules, crushing and tossing around the victim in free-fall. It becomes worse the less one knows about the subject matter, as the film attempts to make its themes universal, but the core driving force of the plot demands at least some knowledge of the NBA. It is definitely geared toward a certain audience: one that actually watches the sport.

The supporting cast is treated a little more kindly, with each meant to reflect a part of the industry they inhabit, from players (Melvin Gregg, “American Vandal”) to coaches (Bill Duke, “The Predator”) to managers (Sonja Sohn, “The Wire”). It helps bolster the main plot, but one might feel like the film is going through the motions.

The focus on bureaucratic functionality can also make for some dry momentum. Thankfully, however, most of the dialogue is character-centric. Sadly, the stakes can feel a bit weightless when the most intense moments are limited to offices and living rooms. There is not even any basketball played in the whole film, instead supplemented with biblical references and arguments.

Under all that is a heart that truly wants to speak about a certain issue to a specific subset of people. Those into the intricacies of sports will find a lot to love, especially those with players they know by name to cheer on. Those people will find something amazing that will come off as witty and relatable, but sadly, others will find an actionless melodrama about people in business wear.

Image from Netflix via YouTube