Saipan, 2025.
Directed by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa.
Starring Steve Coogan, Éanna Hardwicke, Jack Hickey, Harriet Cains, Alice Lowe, Jamie Beamish, Alex Murphy, and Peter McDonald.
SYNOPSIS:
On the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Irish captain Roy Keane forfeits his place in the squad at the team’s preparation base in Saipan, following a heated disagreement with the Irish manager Mick McCarthy.
The fallout between Mick McCarthy and then Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane is the stuff of legend in both the UK and Ireland. 23 years after the incident at the 2002 World Cup, it remains a memorable event, and it has now been brought to life by Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa in Saipan. It stars Steve Coogan as McCarthy and Éanna Hardwicke as Keane, following the weeks and months that led up to the incident at the team’s training camp in Saipan and the days leading up to what promised to be a defining moment in the career of both Keane as a player and McCarthy as a manager.
We open with a montage of reactions to the incident, followed by real-life clips of Keane and McCarthy’s careers set to Acquiesce by Oasis. It’s a stirring way to kickstart the film and underlines the impact of the fallout and how integral Keane was to Irish hopes. He was, of course, a pillar of the Manchester United team built by Alex Ferguson.
Steve Coogan has built a career off impersonations from his Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People to Paul Raymond and Stan Laurel. McCarthy is the latest in this list, it is somewhat of a mixed bag with Coogan nearly 20 years older than McCarthy at this point. Even so once we slip into the crux of the story it is hard not to get lost in events. Hardwicke really gets to the heart of Roy Keane showcasing his famously abrasive nature that ultimately comes to a head following atrocious planning for the Irish training camp. The two performances really keep us invested and the attention to detail from the directors and screenwriter Paul Fraser, wonderfully recreates the 2002 World Cup and its buildup.
It may seem like a preposterous thing to base a feature film around but everyone involved is clearly taking the story seriously, and rather than feeling gimmicky or leaning too much into pastiche it has a real heart to it and captures the importance of the incident for not just the Football world but Irish society.
It perfectly captures the era with a Madchester and indie heavy soundtrack with The Stone Roses and Fontaines D.C. in addition to Oasis. Hardwicke and Coogan reflect the on/off relationship between the pair and their contrasting styles and fans of Irish football and people around at the time will find plenty to reminisce on and those less familiar with events will want to read up on the full story.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
Originally published October 13, 2025. Updated October 17, 2025.
