The Scheme

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The Scheme

2020

2h 0m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

The FBI launches an investigation into Christian Dawkins and a criminal enterprise that offers cash payments to NCAA basketball prospects.

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Steve Greene

indieWire

[It} has plenty of nods to the sheer dollar amounts that flow into college athletic programs across the country... But with relative whispers about the myriad other programs that are supposedly on the take, [It] can only gesture at something definitive.

Rated: B-

Apr 2, 2020

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Tom Long

Detroit News

That it does so in an entertaining manner... is partly thanks to director Pat Kondelis, but the real reason this documentary works is because of a charismatic basketball wizard from Saginaw named Christian Dawkins.

Mar 31, 2020

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

At times "The Scheme" goes so deep into the weeds it's tough to keep track of all the characters and the web of corruption, though some charts and graphics prove to be helpful.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 31, 2020

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

The Scheme relies heavily on interviews with journalists who actually did the investigative work that's used in the movie, but the filmmakers chose not to do their own further investigations.

Jul 15, 2020

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John Serba

Decider

The Scheme is as fascinating as it is illuminating, and the stories and investigations that probably should follow it might be even more so.

Apr 1, 2020

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

The Scheme is the documentary that the important people college basketball probably don't want you to see.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 1, 2020

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Audience Member

Great Documentary. Wasn't expecting to laugh with Christian so much, but he is just brilliant. His outlook on what went down is so positive despite being put through so much. I think anything he touches would turn to gold. Loved it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Initially, I had zero interest in seeing this film. Story seemed old hat, played out, past it's expiration date, etc. The job descriptions alone are worth the watch. The real entertainment comes from the phone calls involving bumbling FBI agents and Uber-narcissistic, compulsively lying to save their own ass coaches. The real star is, of course, Christian; whose refreshing honesty still makes me have faith in humanity...twistedly. Cinematically, this is a work of art. Editing and cinematography are brilliant and the hidden camera footage is peppered in expertly. A well crafted documentary from start to finish that, despite its disgustingly corrupt topic will leave you with enough positive feelings to rewatch it. And the moral of the story is something, I feel, any honest sports fan can agree upon...f@^* the NCAA.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An all too common theme in collage sports, players being exploited by the NCAA and Universities. This documentary looks to provide the perspective of the underbelly of pay to play for college basketball players, through the lens of Christian Dawkins, a young up and coming aspiring sports manager. When Dawkins become the focus of a 2017 FBI investigation, the legal and ethical dilemma involved in modern pay to play scandals is challenged. Viewers are left to wonder...who really are the bad guys in the industry of college sports?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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Pat Kondelis

Director

Lynsey Tamsen Jones

Producer

Rick Bernstein

Executive Producer

Rudy Cline-Thomas

Executive Producer

Stephen Germer

Executive Producer

Matt Porwoll

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

The FBI launches an investigation into Christian Dawkins and a criminal enterprise that offers cash payments to NCAA basketball prospects.

Director: Pat Kondelis
Producer: Lynsey Tamsen Jones
Production Co: Bat Bridge Entertainment, HBO Asia
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2020
Runtime: 2h 0m

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