Q Ball (2019) User Reviews

The Humanity of Prisoners

[omega145 · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

A worthwhile look at the inner workings of a basketball league that gives a meaningful existence to prisoners within the San Quentin Prison. The documentary follows around a handful of players who are playing for the San Quentin Warriors and working towards winning the final game against staff of the Golden State Warriors. The main star is Harry Smith who is the most talented player and about to be paroled with dreams of playing for some iteration of the professional Warriors. The documentary is well done in going through each players story and how they handle being inside of prison. The focus is mainly on the players rather than the crimes they committed although that is discussed and 1 mother of a slain son is interviewed a couple of times. At times, I felt as though there isn't enough examination on the unjust criminal system or the brutal crimes some of them may have committed but that is not the purpose here. The purpose is to show the outlet of basketball and how much it means to these human beings who can act free while on the court playing the game they love. Add a star for those who love basketball. Reduce a star if there is no empathy towards those committed of crimes although i'd suggest having some for our fellow human beings who made varying levels of mistakes.

A Well Balanced, Engaging Documentary...

[tosh-tipton · 8/10 · 26 March 2020]

I was on the fence about Q-Ball initially, but it is well worth the investment. I am first and foremost a fan of basketball, and have witnessed the therapeutic work in the lives of people drawn together by the love of the game. At the same time, someone dear to me was incarcerated in California for several years, and I feel compelled to know / understand more about "life on the inside" as a way of connecting with him.

This is not an "in depth" analysis of the criminal justice system, but you are introduced to real people who have done bad things and how they are trying to live with themselves and the consequences of their actions... while they interact inside the San Quentin basketball league. I was impressed with the access the film crew must have been granted, and the amount of time they spent with the small handful of players who are the focus of this piece. I have my own thought about "punishment vs. rehabilitation" as it applies to the prison system, but this is not really a controversial piece, or designed to steer the viewer towards a specific agenda. It does provide some insight into the human condition, and the part that hope plays in our life.

Well done!

Inmates but still a Human.

[owjan-45979 · 7/10 · 30 May 2020]

This documentary has Nicely pictured the feeling of some tough hardcore big boys with some dark past. 👍

Q-Ball is Inspirational

[El_Frank_MTZ · 6/10 · 29 March 2023]

This documentary allows for us as viewers to see what its like inside prison for a bit. The Correctional system in the United States is no joke. It is scary, organized, and cruel. Q- Ball focuses on the few things in life in prison that these felons enjoy. A problem I found with the film is that the members of the team are made to be some type of hero when in fact these men did horrible things. I think that the documentary should have explored this further. I think they did well with Cuevas and his case regarding the mother and asking for parole, but I think the other instances of the main charters should have been explained further. I do love the idea of second chances, and I think that in Q-ball this theme is explored and developed with Harry ATL. Harry gets a second chance and the doc leaves of with Harry on his own after not reaching what he wanted to, so there is some uncertainty here which makes the viewer invested on what is happening. This is a great technique because that way people can see how the prison system works. I do also like the realism to the doc. The documentary does not end in sunshine and rainbows rather in uncertainty and unknown but that is exactly what life is. I think there should be a call to action with the doc for viewers to see a purpose. Overall it is a good watch and very much interesting. Basketball fans will enjoy.

Shows a perspective of Inmates not often seen in Media

[xraymediapnv · 8/10 · 7 May 2023]

I thought this documentary did a great job showing the humanity of these players. It explained the challenges these players faced in the confines of prison, but the freedom that the sport of basketball gave them. I feel like this documentary did a good job at connecting the viewer with each of the players. The cinematography of the film was really good, using a mix of establishing shots, medium, and closeups to set the viewer in the environment of San Quentin State Prison. The film does a good job at showing how the prisoners are using basketball to come together and how they cope with the consequences of the actions that placed them there. The team they created is a community for these inmates and acts as a way for them to stick to the right path as they wait out their sentences. This film is also not necessarily a competition film. Although, it ends with the culmination of them playing the coaches of the Golden State Warriors, them winning competitions is not the main objective of the story.