‘Eephus’ (2024)

Joining the vast collection of sports films,‘Eephus’ enters the compendium as a slow paced and unhurried metaphor for life. Jumping from one player to the next, the film shares its focus between two recreation league teams - ‘Adler’s Paint’ and ‘The Riverdogs’ as the players dwell on the last game of the season and the last game on that field.

Leisurely but not sluggish, the two teams pile on to the filed and let the game unfold. Progressing at times at a painfully slow pace, ‘Eephus’ parallels its titular throw. Being describes by one of the players as a form of curveball, the eephus is a pitch so slow, it looks like it stops mid-air, making the batter lose track of time.

Mirroring its namesake, the film delivers an effective, albeit inconsequential, commentary on everyday life and the inevitable finality the looms large over every one of our heads. With each player having the light shined on them occasionally, we’re allowed to peer within, discover their interpersonal squabbles and stances.

More so being there out of an underlying sense of obligation rather than love of the game, the overwhelming majority of players are far from athletic, with energy levels rarely exhibiting major feats of power or agility. The overwhelming sense of this game being a lot of the players last game is apparent, with an undercurrent of melancholy accompanying each dispute that rises and prolongs the game.

With a strong sense of style and vision for the film, Carson Lund’s directorial debut delivers a story with negligible impact on the characters lives, yet manages to pierce right though to the indescribable minutiae of everyday life. Using baseball as a medium for examining and staging life at its core, Lund’s strong grasp of storytelling is laudable and impressive.

Even for those unfamiliar with the world of baseball, ‘Eephus’ does not deter as it periodically tours through the lives of its players and stops by to peek within. Revealing various personal dramas, the film glides over family issues, personal shortcomings and rivalries.

Relatable, ‘Eephus’ can take its time but never ceases to amaze and amuse, as the level of insight that one can gleam from a handful of simple interactions underscores the human experience and hits the nail on the head when showcasing each players quirks, eccentricities and weaknesses.

Score: 3/4