Vague Visages’ Torched review contains minor spoilers. Hoag Kepner’s 2023 documentary features Elise Bjork, Cara Crouch and Dre Esparza. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews.

In the sports documentary Torched, the subjects’ “big underdog energy” often clashes with their messages about leadership, gender representation and the sustainability of their women’s/nonbinary ultimate frisbee squad, the Austin Torch. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Hoag Kepner’s inspiring 107-minute film explores the honorable motivations of club co-founders Tim “Bonesaw” Kepner (the director’s brother and former Full Service bandmate) and his wife, Colleen, though the core drama revolves around the Bad News Bears-like atmosphere created by the charismatic athletes. Torched is indeed a trailblazing sports doc, yet it raises many questions about the correlation between true leadership and long-term athletic success.

Nobody speaks directly to the camera in Torched (aside from the aforementioned Bonesaw); a refreshing filmmaking technique that immerses viewers into the interior lives of each subject. Hoag Kepner, who also edited the documentary, structures the narrative beautifully, while the cinematography (also by Hoag Kepner) creates somewhat of an epic sports feel — primarily through sprawling overhead shots — to match the subjects’ big personalities and ambitions. Plus, the overall musical selections complement the main themes of each scene: slow big band music for goofy moments; heavy techno for game sequences. The city of Austin also emerges as a peripheral character in Torched, so much so that some players seemingly lose sight of the ultimate goal (squad survival) while promoting their individuality and personal brands.

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Some red flags emerge in Torched around the 30-minute mark when head coach Austin Walker makes his first appearance. As a cis white male, he acknowledges the importance of allyship but also identifies himself as a “secondary, peripheral figure” for the Austin Torch. So, this particular sequence may feel frustrating to life-long athletes who value strong leadership and criticism while chasing athletic goals. Just minutes after Walker’s introduction, some Torch players flippantly joke about being escorted off a plane by six police officers due to their rowdy behavior. Sure, this particular anecdote will please many punk rockers in the Austin DIY scene, but it’s a troubling revelation in terms of the club’s long-term sustainability. After all, there’s a sense of urgency as Bonesaw and company seek funding for the 2024 season. Incidentally, a “look good, feel good, play good” sequence doesn’t have much bite, as many Torch players seem more invested in the glamorous present than saving the club. At the end of the day, there should be a written map for the future; a business plan with clear leadership expectations.

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As a sports documentary, Torched succeeds by establishing and celebrating the DIY culture of both Austin, Texas and the featured frisbee squad. The film is technically clean and narratively smooth, which makes some of the messy player moments so endearing and intriguing (The Bad News Bears/A League of Their Own comparisons made by players Emma Berrigan and Mindy Radike, respectively, feel spot-on). Torched paints a vibrant picture of a sports team on the brink of extinction, but none of the subjects seem too worried — not because they don’t care, but rather because they’re busy enjoying the foundational work that will hopefully inspire the next generation of female/nonbinary athletes.

Torched released digitally in North America on August 20, 2024 via Freestyle Digital Media.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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