I honestly wasn’t even planning to watch anything serious. I just wanted something light to pass time, so I was scrolling through, not really knowing what I was looking for. Then I saw Air sitting there on the homepage. At first, I was like, “hmm, maybe later,” but then I spotted something that changed everything, Matt Damon and Viola Davis were in it.
And immediately, I knew I had to give it a chance. Those two never disappoint.
I started the movie and from the first few minutes, I was hooked.
Air tells the story of how Nike, back when it wasn’t as big as it is now, went all-in trying to sign a young Michael Jordan. Not just any kind of signing, they literally built a whole brand around him. Imagine the risk! At that point, Jordan wasn’t even a superstar yet. He hadn’t even played professionally in the NBA. But somehow, Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon) saw what nobody else saw.
Matt Damon really brought that character to life. You could feel the desperation but also the crazy faith Sonny had. It wasn’t just business for him, it was personal. He really believed Jordan was going to be the greatest, even when others didn’t see it.
Then there’s Viola Davis.
Honestly, words won’t do justice to how good she was. She played Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, and the strength she carried in her scenes was something else. She wasn’t loud, she wasn’t dramatic, she was just solid. You could tell she knew her son’s worth and wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of him. Every time she was on screen, you just knew she was the real backbone behind Jordan’s success.
What really made the movie hit for me was how it wasn’t even about the shoes themselves. It was about belief. About taking a wild shot in the dark when everyone around you thinks you’re crazy. It was about trust, family, vision, and the risks that lead to greatness.
The way the movie flowed, it felt so real and so human. No over-the-top drama, no dragging scenes. Just a powerful story told simply and beautifully. I didn’t even realize how invested I had gotten until it ended and I found myself smiling.
It reminded me that sometimes in life, the biggest rewards come from the biggest risks. And sometimes, you just need one person to believe in you before the rest of the world catches up.
If you love movies that inspire you without being preachy, or if you’re just a fan of Michael Jordan and how his story really started, I can’t recommend Air enough.
I went in expecting just another movie, and came out feeling like I had just watched a piece of history.
Thanks for reading! If you’ve seen Air too, I’d love to hear what you thought about it.