Losers (2019– ) User Reviews

Moving, powerful, and tons of fun

[wheeler-benjamin · 9/10 · 3 March 2019]

Watching this series, what I kept thinking is "God, I love this story!" It's amazing that these stories are out there and haven't been told this way before -- they are such an entertaining and insightful window onto life, and its unexpected twists and turns. If the series's thesis is that losers' stories are every bit -- or more -- interesting than winners' stories, it makes that point with style again and again. And throughout, it stays focused on the people involved, giving them the role of storytellers.

The Surya Bonaly and Michael Bentt episodes are especially standouts -- I've watched the Surya Bonaly episode twice, and I'm choking up now just thinking about it.

It's cathartic, passionate, joyful filmmaking.

Full disclosure: I know the creator.

They could've called this series 'Winners.'

[SpacemanBob · 9/10 · 6 March 2019]

Some fascinating stories of athletes who failed and how life turned out well after that failure. It's told primarily by the subjects themselves. It's well done, they get to the point quickly and stay on it. It's entertaining and there's some definite humor. Standouts for myself were the stories of Jack Ryan, Michael Bentt, Surya Bonaly, and Jean van der Velde. Every episode is entertaining and worth watching however, I never so much as paused any of them.

Excellent storytelling

[scottgtsavage · 8/10 · 10 March 2019]

Excellent re telling of less well known sport stories. Concise and without telling you what you should feel and avoiding mawkish sentimentalism that runs through some sports docs. Animations are interesting but sometimes a bit intrusive - that's my only negative.

Amazing

[zack_gideon · 10/10 · 8 March 2019]

This show is so great. Shows the real lives of athletes that weren't perfect. Who is? I loved it. Need a second season!

Winning Through Losing.

[mf2812 · 10/10 · 22 March 2019]

Such a good little series. Would actually have liked to see more in certain episodes but they're still effective as they are. The Michael Bent one in particular is fantastic, but they are all great. As the famous Rocky Balboa says "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward". Inspirational series.

So so so so GOOD!

[loonatwok · 10/10 · 8 March 2019]

I have to admit, I was turned off by the title, but a friend from work urged me to watch. Binged it within 24 hours. I found the later episodes are slightly better than the earlier episodes. "Black Jack" , "Aliy" and "Lost in the desert" were my favorites. Do yourself a favor and check this out. Ignore any poor reviews, they're clueless.

Great stories in the hands of a competent director.

[lc-82324 · 8/10 · 5 March 2019]

What a delight it was to watch these eight episodes back-to-back during the weekend. The curling episode (4) was my favorite - it tells the story of a loser that went on to become a winner and fundamentally change the way people compete in curling (no other episode features that transformation). The basketball episode (7) was also very good, because it shows that even if you screw up your entire life, you can still reinvent yourself as an entertainer. Finally, the worst episode for me, and I know I will be in the minority with this assessment, was the ice skating episode (3). As said by Surya Bonaly herself in a non-featured interview, she does not believe that her lower scores were due to any racism by the judges. It was the worst episode of all because it seems to push a narrative forward (of racism-induced prejudice) that is not corroborated by facts. Just look at honest assessments of her performance at the time by judges and former skaters. Regardless of that one episode, and also of the episode of the desert marathon (5), which tells the story of an actual loser that insists on diving deeper and deeper into his obsession, the idea of making a series about "losers" was great. And, as said in the title of this review, it was very well executed.

Good Stories

[mattrector · 8/10 · 5 March 2019]

None of them really losers. Fascinating stories none the less.

What's with the Juvenile Animations?

[nantieszen · 3/10 · 3 March 2019]

This is a review only for the Surya Bonaly episode. It is ruined by the inclusion of animations that illustrate what occurred instead of prime source footage that seemingly inspired the animations. Why the producers thought that animations are superior to actual footage is highly puzzling. Disappointing.

Dealing with defeat and coming out stronger

[Mail-63-855156 · 10/10 · 9 March 2019]

While winners always get the attention, it's losers that have the most remarkable stories. This documentary shows the lives of athletes who didn't make it, but have one thing in common, they came out stronger and live fulfilled lives often making the world a better place. Great stories, real people, real dreams.

Well worth watching

[zo-74838 · 8/10 · 31 May 2020]

At the time of writing, there are only 14 reviews of Losers on IMDB, and already it is difficult to add something new and original to the body of work. Well done to the first 14.

I watched the whole series over 2 consecutive days. It was a collection of stories, each about a different sport and sportsperson. The sports were diverse and so were the stories. They were interesting, and we'll worth watching. I know I haven't added much, but sometimes life is like that. Happy viewing.

Great true stories

[Erik_Stone · 8/10 · 18 February 2022]

Real athletes and real stories. Each is amazing to hear, and with each there is wisdom that you can learn from.

The title put me off for awhile, but I should have seen this sooner. The title "Losers" should not be taken at face value; it is a philosophical title.

Perspective, Much Needed

[anthonydapiii · 8/10 · 9 May 2020]

The stories I would have never heard about now come to life.

It's great to see the other side of the spectrum while also still showing the opportunity that could come out of taking major loses.

Defeat is only defeat if we see it as so.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mini-documentary series.

Love this Concept of Film

[reis-joaonuno · 10/10 · 25 June 2019]

Me personally, I love this show. I love that they mix real footage, with the missing parts as cartoons. Makes it really very captivating. I could watch this all day long.

Well-told, human stories

[sj_jaguar_33 · 10/10 · 27 May 2020]

We often think of athletes as being of a different breed than normal people. Michael Jordan? Michael Phelps? Simone Biles. These names are like Superman to most of us. We KNOW these individuals didn't come from another planet, but we don't think of them as existing in the same reality. They're just different. Destined for greatness. Lucky. They aren't like the rest of us.

I love this series first and foremost because it tells great stories. The tone is never too dark, despite occasionally dealing with some very serious thematic material; and, given the runtime of each episode (25-40 minutes), they really have to stay focused on the story. It's exceptionally well-made.

On another level, Losers succeeds because it is, at its core, very inspiring. The common theme of season one is that talent and dedication are often not quite enough. Bad luck, or mistakes, or LIFE often get in the way of success. And yet, at the end of each episode, I find myself reconsidering the definition of success.