Overview
A young athlete's heart is torn between ambition and love in a world where dreams collide with reality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- intimate
- grounded
- reflective evening
- lgbtq+ film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a compelling and emotionally affecting LGBTQ+ sports drama, highlighting its performances and treatment of homophobia in professional football.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mario and Leon's attraction develops within a professional soccer club where homophobia and career expectations threaten their relationship.
Mario pursues international soccer stardom to realize both his own and his father's dream, intensifying the conflict with his private happiness.
Mario must weigh his love for Leon against the success and public identity demanded by elite football.
The film centers Mario and Leon's concealed relationship and the accumulating pressure surrounding its possible exposure.
Films like Mario, and why
The Pass
shared lgbtq+ romance, sports-world pressure, and emotionally restrained social drama
Free Fall
shared gay romance, identity conflict, and intimate coming-of-age drama
God's Own Country
shared queer relationship under institutional and social pressure, with a compassionate dramatic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Marcel Gisler
- Release Date
- 2018-02-22
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (156)
Cast
- Max Hubacher
- Aaron Altaras
- Jessy Moravec
- Jürg Plüss
- Doro Müggler
- Andreas Matti
- Joris Gratwohl
- Scherwin Amini
- Fabrizio Borsani
- Julian Koechlin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mario about?
- A gifted Swiss footballer risks his path to international stardom when a teammate becomes the love he cannot safely acknowledge.
- What is Mario like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mario as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mario violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mario.
- What did critics think of Mario?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a compelling and emotionally affecting LGBTQ+ sports drama, highlighting its performances and treatment of homophobia in professional football.
- Which films are like Mario?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pass, Free Fall, and God's Own Country.
- How long is Mario?
- Mario runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mario?
- In United States, Mario streams on Amazon Prime Video, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
