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Top Spin

Play trailer Poster for Top Spin 2015 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Teenage pingpong players Ariel Hsing, Michael Landers and Lily Zhang prepare to compete in the Olympic trials.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor 10/30/2015
B
Weary as I am of documentaries built around competitions, this one is charming because the three teens, especially the girls, are so radiantly intense about the sport. And yes, you doubters, it is a sport. Go to Full Review
Chuck Wilson Village Voice 10/20/2015
These "kids" turn out to be wiser than their years - wiser than most of us, probably - as they both win and lose with an enviable grace. Go to Full Review
Tom Keogh Seattle Times 09/03/2015
3/4
"Top Spin's" action is sizzling - that sideways-hop-dance players use in the sport is mesmerizing, and lightning-fast exchanges between competitors can look unearthly. Go to Full Review
Andrea Beach Common Sense Media 07/12/2016
4/5
Teens chase Olympic dreams in compelling sports documentary. Go to Full Review
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice 10/22/2015
3/5
A pleasant documentary about three adolescents trying to represent the U.S. in table tennis at the 2012 Olympics. Go to Full Review
Christine N. Ziemba Paste Magazine 08/26/2015
6.9/10
There's triumph, heartbreak and loss in Top Spin. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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nefasto r @Nefasto 10/24/2021 As a table tennis player, I'd say there is not much to enjoy or learn from this. But the emotional journey of these young athletes is a good one to follow. See more 07/07/2017 This doc taught me that the US has never won an Olympic medal in table tennis, badminton, or handball. Those are all awesome sports. Let's get on it! See more 08/27/2016 Barney Reed: Table tennis is a lot like martial arts and boxing combined with chess. Siguiendo con los documentales atléticos, tenemos a Top Spin, que nos sumerge en el mundo del Ping Pong, un deporte que realmente no pensé que requería tanta preparación física. No sólo los atletas tienen rigurosos entrenamientos físicos, sino que la parte mental que es lo más complicado para entrenar. Lo que me gustó de Top Spin es que muestra la vida diaria de estos jóvenes, como logran balancear su entrenamiento, con el colegio y compartir con sus familias y amigos, y a pesar de la gran responsabilidad que tienen, siguen siendo niños normales en sus intereses y como se relacionan con los demás, Finalmente, recibimos un gran desenlace cuando todos los protagonistas del documental llegan a las Olimpiadas, que es un logro monumental. See more 07/06/2016 interesting and eye-opening documentary See more 01/18/2016 Two months after the 2012 Olympics main event, Lily Zhang went on the win the Bronze Medal (first time for a US player) in the Olympic Youth Summer Games in Nanjing, China.. WOW See more 12/13/2015 Awesome! Great documentary about some young table tennis athletes. Follows their growth and difficulties. Was rooting for each one by the end. Would happily watch it again. See more Read all reviews
Top Spin

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Movie Info

Synopsis Teenage pingpong players Ariel Hsing, Michael Landers and Lily Zhang prepare to compete in the Olympic trials.
Director
Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
Producer
Mina T. Son
Distributor
First Run Features
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 21, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.9K
Runtime
1h 30m