Saipan (2025)

Released: 2025-11-08 Recommended age: 10+ IMDb 6.8
Saipan

Movie details

  • Genres: Drama, History
  • Director: Glenn Leyburn, Lisa Barros D'Sa
  • Main cast: Éanna Hardwicke, Steve Coogan, Oliver Coopersmith, Jack Hickey, Aoife Hinds
  • Country / region: Ireland, United Kingdom
  • Original language: en
  • Premiere: 2025-11-08

Story overview

Saipan is a historical drama that explores the controversial 2002 incident where Irish football captain Roy Keane left the national team's World Cup preparations after a conflict with manager Mick McCarthy. The film focuses on the intense interpersonal dynamics, leadership clashes, and the emotional fallout of this pivotal moment in sports history.

Parent Guide

A historical sports drama focusing on interpersonal conflict and leadership challenges without graphic content, but with mature themes that require some emotional maturity to understand.

Content breakdown

Violence & peril
None

No physical violence depicted. The conflict is verbal and emotional.

Scary / disturbing
Mild

Some tense confrontations and emotional distress related to the conflict, but nothing graphically disturbing.

Language
Mild

May include some mild sports-related exclamations or frustration expressions, but no strong profanity expected.

Sexual content & nudity
None

No sexual content or nudity.

Substance use
None

No depiction of substance use.

Emotional intensity
Moderate

High emotional stakes around national pride, professional reputation, and team dynamics. The conflict creates significant tension and disappointment.

Parent tips

This film deals with adult themes of conflict, disappointment, and professional rivalry in a sports context. While there's no graphic content, the emotional intensity and mature discussions about teamwork and responsibility make it more suitable for older children and teens. Consider watching together to discuss how disagreements are handled and the consequences of public conflicts.

Parent chat guide

After watching, you might discuss: How did the different perspectives of Keane and McCarthy lead to their conflict? What does this story teach us about leadership and communication in high-pressure situations? How do you think the players and fans felt about this incident? What are healthy ways to handle disagreements in sports or other team activities?

Parent follow-up questions

  • What was the movie about?
  • Why were the people arguing?
  • How did you feel when they couldn't agree?
  • What do you think caused the disagreement between Keane and McCarthy?
  • Do you think either person was right or wrong? Why?
  • How might this conflict have been resolved differently?
  • What does this story teach us about teamwork?
  • What does this incident reveal about the pressures of professional sports?
  • How do cultural and national expectations influence sports conflicts?
  • What leadership lessons can be learned from both Keane and McCarthy's approaches?
  • How does media coverage affect public perception of sports controversies?

Where to watch

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  • Rakuten TV
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • BFI Player

Trailer

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