Overview
A young athlete grapples with the weight of legacy and ambition on the basketball court.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- kinetic
- cathartic
- wistful
- sports movie night
- anime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a heart-pumping, breathtaking, expertly crafted manga adaptation with gripping sports action and emotional depth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ryota's drive on the court is tied to his late elder brother's unrealized dream and his own unresolved family pain.
The basketball contest is repeatedly connected to Ryota's memories and the histories of his teammates.
The film's basketball sequences foreground fluid player movement, rapid transitions, and impactful slam dunks.
Shōhoku's players, including Mitsui, Akagi, Rukawa, and Sakuragi, must coordinate despite rivalry and differing temperaments.
Films like The First Slam Dunk, and why
Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle
animated sports drama combining kinetic competition, team rivalry, and emotional coming-of-age storytelling
Kuroko's Basketball: Last Game
anime sports film centered on high-stakes teamwork, rivalry, and cathartic athletic momentum
Hoosiers
emotionally charged basketball drama about competition, family pressure, and personal ambition
The Wind Rises
Japanese animated coming-of-age drama using sport, memory, and youthful longing to explore grief and aspiration
Movie Details
- Director
- Takehiko Inoue
- Release Date
- 2022-12-03
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (569)
Cast
- Shugo Nakamura
- Jun Kasama
- Kenta Miyake
- Shinichiro Kamio
- Subaru Kimura
- Katsuhisa Houki
- Asami Seto
- Ryota Iwasaki
- Chado Horii
- Maaya Sakamoto
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The First Slam Dunk about?
- A grieving teenage point guard channels family loss and competitive fire into a breathtaking fight for victory with his underdog high-school basketball team.
- What is The First Slam Dunk like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The First Slam Dunk as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The First Slam Dunk violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The First Slam Dunk as mild.
- What did critics think of The First Slam Dunk?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a heart-pumping, breathtaking, expertly crafted manga adaptation with gripping sports action and emotional depth.
- Which films are like The First Slam Dunk?
- Films with a similar feel include Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, Kuroko's Basketball: Last Game, Hoosiers, and The Wind Rises.
- How long is The First Slam Dunk?
- The First Slam Dunk runs 125 minutes.
- Where can I watch The First Slam Dunk?
- In United States, The First Slam Dunk streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
