Netflix premiered the four-episode documentary series Beckham last week, and as is evident from the title, it’s all about David Beckham, one of the most famous players in the history of football (or soccer, as we call it in America). Given Beckham’s status as an international sports icon, it should be no surprise that Beckham has landed on top of the list of the 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now.
If you know nothing about sports or don’t care about soccer, then you may be asking: “Why I should watch Beckham?” The most obvious answer is that this is both a sports documentary and an examination of what it’s like to be such a huge celebrity. Director Fisher Stevens also managed to get hours of interviews with both David Beckham and his wife, Victoria Beckham, and they share their personal stories both together and separately. But if you need more convincing, here are three reasons why you should watch Beckham on Netflix.
It’s a portrait of a superstar as a young man
Unless you’re a complete soccer fanatic, the vast majority of fans in America don’t know much about Beckham’s 11-year run on his first team, Manchester United. This is where the young David Beckham made his name as one of the most exciting players in the game. Think Michael Jordan in his prime, and you’ll get an idea of the way that Beckham played during this era.
This show also chronicles the reasons why Beckham’s relationship with the team deteriorated to the point where he left Manchester United. Beckham and his former coach and teammates are pretty candid about the breakup. And it’s not always a pretty picture.
David and Victoria Beckham open up about their relationship
There was a time when Victoria Beckham was actually more famous than her husband, especially when her group, the Spice Girls, were at their height of international popularity. Both Beckhams speak about the circus that their lives became, and David admits that he was initially excited to be a part of Victoria’s world of fame.
However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Beckhams. That level of fame put an enormous amount of stress on the couple, and Victoria says she felt resentful at one point in their relationship. Victoria also recalls that David missed the birth of their child because he had a photo session with Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé. As you might expect, Victoria was not pleased. There were also times when both of the Beckhams were clearly uncomfortable with being under such an intense public spotlight. Regardless, they don’t shy away from talking about their highs and lows together in this documentary.
A frank look at Beckham’s final years as a pro
The final episode of Beckham opens with the sensational accusations that David cheated on Victoria while he was playing in Spain. Neither of the Beckhams confirms what David did or didn’t do outside of holy matrimony, but the wounds are clearly apparent even as they speak about them years after the fact.
That particular episode also focuses on the brief five-year period when Beckham joined Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy club. It turns out that the world’s biggest sports star was still pretty huge in the U.S. The documentary also opens up about Beckham’s occasionally testy relationship with his teammate, Landon Donovan (who shares his own perspective), as well as the period when the American fans turned against Beckham because he spent so much time on loan to a foreign football team. Yet, in the end, Beckham and Donovan came together for a storybook conclusion to that chapter of his career.
Watch Beckham on Netflix.
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