Concussion (2015) on Netflix
PG-1320152h 3mBiographyDramaSport
Pathologist Bennet Omalu examines the brain of a deceased Pittsburgh Steelers player and finds damage from repeated blows to the head. When he publishes his findings, the NFL rejects them.
- Netflix3.9/5
- IMDb7.1/10105,791 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes58%
Trailer
Plot summary
Mike Webster, a retired Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is discovered dead in his truck after years of homelessness and self-harm. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist for Allegheny County, handles the autopsy and studies microscope slides of Webster's brain, finding evidence of severe neurotrauma. He concludes that repeated blows to the head caused the degeneration and names the disorder chronic traumatic encephalopathy. With support from former Steelers doctor Julian Bailes and coroner Cyril Wecht, Omalu publishes his findings, and the NFL dismisses them. Football is widely beloved in Pittsburgh, and Omalu faces pressure to back down as his work threatens the league's standing. He also meets and marries Prema Mutiso, an immigrant woman.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Concussion (2015)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- After the Sony Pictures hack, Deadspin compared a leaked script with the released film and said it was edited to appease the NFL, cutting Roger Goodell's and Paul Tagliabue's prominence and changing dialogue. The New York Times found emails about removing "unflattering moments for the NFL" and taking "most of the bite" out "for legal reasons with the NFL".
SPOILER
Family members of Dave Duerson, the former NFL player who had CTE and killed himself, said the film falsely showed him calling Bennet Omalu a "quack", telling him "to go back to Africa" and mocking Andre Waters when he applied for benefits over head injuries.
