Football season is upon us and MUBI is curating films in a program they call ‘The World’s Game’. Marcel Gisler’s Mario is one of those films but I’ll get to why it’s good viewing for June. Its titular character, Mario Luthi (Max Hubacher), is a Swiss German footballer who decides to room with a teammate. That teammate is Hanoverian Leon Saldo (Aaron Altaras), and suddenly, Mario introduces him to his friends in Switzerland. Somehow, they’re both invested in Mario’s friend Jenny (Jessy Moravec) and her designing theatre costumes in Bern. They walk around in public but are more intimate in private, and other players are noticing their closeness. Leon is more open about his sexuality but Mario wants to stay closeted and wants to prove his masculinity.

This film juggles its share of themes, even in moments where they’re planning to go on a vacation. Europe is different from North America where a vacation destination is a short road trip away from them. But going to Barbados is a different story for regular people in Switzerland – semi-pro footballers, just like us. This brushes on one of the plot arcs here about how there are at least three professional spots for these guys. Football’s dog eat dog world is one of the reasons why Mario reluctantly reciprocates Leon’s sexual advances. One can assume that getting into any relationship regardless of sexuality can distract a player from the game. Complicating Mario‘s key relationship is that he may not want to love someone who’s his direct competition.

European queer cinema, thankfully, is reaching out to tell more stories, specifically about economic themes. Most queer films tackle three arcs – AIDS, coming out, and homophobia, and Mario tackles homophobia. I get that sports fandoms and actual sports organizations are getting diverse and are more friendly to queers. Sports fans are, still, full of homophobic chubs, which only exist here through the odd hate mail.  From what I’ve heard, most sports organizations are more queer friendly and every team has one gay player. And similarly and understandably, there’s the odd homophobic player, although that’s more American. My issue with this film is why Mario’s the one in front of HR and not the player who’s blackmailing him.

Outside of Mario getting in trouble instead of the homophobic player, there are other flawed things in Mario. In most situations, these fandoms don’t intersect although this film is for the gay jocks who exist somewhere. Even if that’s true, there’s something about this film that feels niche while also not being visually inventive. As I write this, I appreciate a film that doesn’t try to invent the wheel while capturing a specific experience. And there’s relatable in the scenes where Mario and Leon spend their private time, as if nothing else exists. These scenes may make viewers think that their love is enough, or can even compliment the world of sports. Or maybe those worlds are just too far apart and that Mario may have to choose love or to be a professional.

Stream Mario on MUBI, which-