Concussion

Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith: Focus) speaks for the dead. A medical examiner in Pittsburgh, Omalu is obsessed with learning what led to each death.
    When Pittsburgh Steeler great Mike Webster (David Morse: True Detective) dies, Omalu is puzzled about how Webster went from local hero to homeless madman.
    He discovers that Webster’s brain was suffocating. Repeated concussions had caused it to choke from the inside out, causing violent rages, addictive behavior and rapid mental degeneration. Omalu publishes his results and names the disease: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Realizing that Webster’s death was not a fluke, he concludes that more players must be suffering from CTE. But there is no confirmation possible until after death.
    Meanwhile, the NFL works overtime to disgrace the doctor and his findings.
    A movie to make football fans reconsider how they spend Monday and Sunday nights, Concussion is a thriller with great potential and poor execution. Director Peter Landesman (Parkland) only touches on the many outrages in the NFL concussion cover-up. He hints at the depth and breadth of the conspiracy but stops short of full examination of the league’s commitment to stopping Omalu. Hints that the government is involved are not pursued.
    There is also a thin subplot involving Omalu’s family life that could have increased the sense of danger — had it been developed. Smith and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Jupiter Ascending) are both gorgeous, capable actors, but their awkward chemistry makes their relationship seem forced.
    It’s a shame Landesman wastes so much time with Omalu’s personal life, because Smith is at his best fighting the NFL.
    Morse delivers the most effective performance, portraying Mike Webster’s spiral into madness.
    Concussion is an imperfect movie, but it’s a good way to start talking about how America treats its sports heroes and about the corporations that profit carelessly from their skills.

Good Thriller • PG-13 • 123 mins.