A serious documentary that crosses the time axis “Stephen Curry: Underrated” It portrays Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry, routinely hailed as the greatest shooter in NBA history, as an underdog in at least two key phases of his career.
The film tells the story of Curry, a high school and college athlete. Though she was initially thought to be short and too skinny, she led Davidson College, a liberal arts school in North Carolina, to a 25-game winning streak in 2008. It also follows Curry at the beginning of the decade. The movie begins in December 2021 when Curry broke Ray Allen’s career record for 3-point shooting, and then follows Curry through a period of relative slump when commentators point out specs. I’m still thinking about whether he’s still at the top level. (He was named the 2022 NBA Finals MVP after Bay Area team Golden State won its fourth championship in eight years.)
Off the court, Curry is pictured working to support his family and pursue an unfinished degree at Davidson College. His college career is summarized in detail, and his undergraduate years are depicted as a winning streak of his second chances and perseverance. One interviewee said that Davidson’s games were not generally broadcast when Curry started playing. One of the charms of this movie is that you can see these early highlights.
Director Peter Nicks previously specialized in portraits of Bay Area facilities on walls (Oakland Police documentary “The Force”). But there’s very little spontaneous in Underrated. That may be because Knicks didn’t find many new discoveries. Or maybe, like Curry today, the project has nothing to prove.
Stephen Curry: Underrated
It is rated PG-13 for language. Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes. Watch on Apple TV+.
