Saipan
-
Showtimes
-
Movie Details
We didn't find this title in your area
Videos & Photos
Movie Info & Cast
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.
Moviegoers are saying
This Roy Keane biographical drama divides audiences between those captivated by Éanna Hardwicke's transformative performance and the film's exploration of Ireland's national identity crisis, and those who find it only gets '75% of the way there' in capturing the full complexity of the infamous Saipan incident. Reviewers consistently praise the spot-on vocal performance, banging soundtrack featuring The Pogues and Oasis, and Steve Coogan's portrayal of Mick McCarthy, while noting the film works more as an emotional painting than a forensic documentary.
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.4
24.9K
4.9K
5.1K
- Sep 4, 2025
People will say Éanna Hardwicke killed it in his portrayal of Roy Keane. And look he’s done brilliantly for himself and all. But we can keep ourselves grounded, can’t we? He’s an actor. It’s like praising the postman for delivering the mail. That’s his job.
DonKianDec 27, 2025autistic king roy keane faces untold horrors at the hands of alan partridge
gráinneDec 27, 2025Every time they start to lose you in the movie they play a tiktok football hope core edit. And it worked every time to pull me back in
Seán - Dec 30, 2025
Waiting For The GOAT To say Roy Keane was Ireland’s answer to JFK Jr. and that Saipan was his plane crash (at least in an Irish shirt), would be truthful and melodramatic all at once. If you were a football fan in the 90s — especially an Irish Man United fan like I was —…
Ian CurranJan 21, 2026Oscar for most unwarranted penis shot
AugustJamesJan 22, 2026‘Girl, so confusing’ feat. Roy Keane & Mick McCarthy
shannon - Mar 3, 2026
it can
meyiOct 13, 2025Really respect the guy in front of me immediately opening BBC Sport as soon as the credits rolled
Beck CleggDec 13, 2025The pogues?? Oasis?? The stone roses?? Fontaines?? banging soundtrack. I love football I love Ireland 🇮🇪 Was holding back tears during the montages x
ruby
Queue Community Reviews
81%
Community 55
Top Reviews
- 10000BCman likedSaipan
first 90 seconds: top 10 roy keane hype moments and aura everything after: me and my mates pished in the pub pretending we’re roy keane
Hank Leet likedSaipanA chaotic and darkly comedic look at the infamous civil war that divided the world of Irish football
Bootlegger likedSaipan6/10 Great acting from the main characters, pretty standard ordinary film throughout
- Daniel Spicer is "meh" onSaipan
Best bit was Roy calling Mick a smupid cunm
Glenn Jeffers likedSaipanV v good, hate Mick
Daffydoo likedSaipan7/10
Atom Users Reviews
Metacritic
USER SCORE (0)
There are no user reviews yet
Jan 22, 2026
Finally, someone has returned to The Damned United’s cunning formula for a good football movie: don’t show any football.
Phil de Semlyen
Time Out
Oct 20, 2025
Instead of glorifying men at the top of their game (well, at least Keane), it’s a fascinating, funny, and smart breakdown of how one argument served as a microcosm for centuries of conflict, cultural values, and men’s egos.
Emma Kiely
Collider
Sep 17, 2025
Both actors are superb, but the problem is that history isn’t really on their side. The incidents depicted in “Saipan” were dramatic in 2002, especially in the sports arena, and to a fixated Irish public who took sides. But two decades later, it all lands with a thud.
Gregory Ellwood
The Playlist
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Saipan (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 31min long.
What's Saipan (2026) about?
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.
Full Screen Image Viewer
Target Exclusive Showing
Don't Have The Password?