Eephus (2025) isn’t flashy, and it won’t be for everyone. Its drama is muted, its pacing deliberate. But for those tuned into its frequency, it’s a poignant, beautifully observed story about time, tradition, and the people we share it with. Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, the themes are universal.
‘Eephus’ Movie Review
Eephus is a baseball movie, sure—but only on the surface. What it really is, at its core, is a quiet elegy for the traditions we cling to, the routines that define us, and the slow, inevitable passage of time. Written and directed by Carson Lund in his feature debut, Eephus doesn’t try to dazzle you with big emotional swings or dramatic sports triumphs. Instead, it plays out like a slow Sunday afternoon in late summer: warm, unhurried, a little melancholic, and deeply rooted in the rituals of ordinary life.
Set in small-town Massachusetts, Eephus follows the final matchup between two long-running men’s rec league baseball teams: the River Dogs and Adler’s Paint. Their beloved ballpark, Soldier’s Field, is being shut down to make way for a new school—an understandable decision, but one that hits these middle-aged men harder than they might’ve expected. For years, they’ve come together on Sundays to play. Not for trophies, not for crowds, but for something harder to define: a sense of belonging, a piece of identity, a break from the responsibilities and complexities of life outside the lines.
The film is structured inning by inning, and with each passing frame, we learn a little more about the players. Some details are personal—hints about home life, regrets, lost ambitions. Others are strictly between the lines: who’s got a nasty sinker, who can still hit opposite field, who talks the most trash. That balance—between personal history and diamond dynamics—is where Eephus shines. These men don’t necessarily know one another beyond the game, and yet there’s an intimacy in how they’ve grown used to each other’s quirks, pitch counts, and superstitions.
Keith William Richards, best known as one of the standout antagonists in Uncut Gems, delivers a memorable performance as Adler’s Paint’s starting pitcher. He insists on going the distance and throwing a complete game in their final outing. It’s not about ego; it’s about closure. Richards is magnetic here—grizzled, determined, and quietly reflective. But just as importantly, Eephus isn’t built around one performance. It’s an ensemble piece that embraces anonymity. There’s no grandstanding, no soaring music cues. Just a collection of guys playing a game that, for reasons they can’t fully articulate, means a little more today than it usually does.
Lund’s direction is understated, with a patient rhythm that matches the tempo of the game itself. The cinematography is intimate but unfussy, much like the characters it captures. He’s cited Goodbye, Dragon Inn as an influence, and you can feel it: the stillness, the focus on fleeting moments, the quiet realization that something special is ending—even if no one quite knows how to say it aloud. There’s a deep sense of nostalgia baked into every scene, not the kind that begs for sentimentality, but the kind that sneaks up on you when you realize you’ll never quite be in this same place, with these same people, again.
READ MORE MOVIE REVIEWS: The Shrouds, G20, Night of the Zoopocalypse
Eephus isn’t flashy, and it won’t be for everyone. Its drama is muted, its pacing deliberate. But for those tuned into its frequency, it’s a poignant, beautifully observed story about time, tradition, and the people we share it with. Whether you’re a baseball fan or not, the themes are universal. Anyone who’s ever felt a cherished routine slipping through their fingers will recognize something real here.
Eephus may be about a game, but what it captures is something much more human: the quiet heartbreak of goodbye.
Score: 7/10
Eephus (2025)
- Cast: Cliff Blake, Keith William Richards, Bill Lee, Keith Poulson, Conner Marx, Theodore Bouloukos, Wayne Diamond
- Director: Carson Lund
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sports
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: March 21, 2025
- Movies Like Eephus: Air, The Iron Claw, Next Goal Wins