Bulls (2026) Movie Review: An Underdog Darts Comedy That Hits the Bullseye

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source: tv.lk21

Published: January 14, 2026 | Edited: August 22, 2026

Synopsis:

Bulls (2026) is a sports comedy-drama film directed by Daniel Meyer with a runtime of 89 minutes. 

The film tells the story of two brothers who get one last chance to save their family bar from going bankrupt. They are given the opportunity to compete in the World Darts Championship, but they have to face an elite team from England. The problem is, they are terrible at playing darts. 

They then recruit a new coach — a bar regular alcoholic who spends more time drinking than standing, but somehow is insanely good at throwing darts. Led by this questionable "genius," the underdog duo from a small town challenges the reigning champions, the Gallyan Brothers, and slowly they start to look like a real team.

What’s praised is the classic underdog story. Everybody likes a good underdog story and this movie does not disappoint. It has universal themes: a happy ending and ordinary people winning. The characters are relatable. The characters in this movie are down to earth and relatable. As you're watching the movie you feel like you know the characters personally. Directed by Daniel Meyer, who was born in Michigan City, the film feels like a "love letter" to his hometown. The movie was also filmed in the beautiful city and beaches of Michigan.

However, there are criticisms. Some viewers were quite frustrated: "I couldn't make it to the end as it really was so bad, as a darts fan it was unbearable." On Rotten Tomatoes, people said things like "Absolutely shocking film terrible acting," "Worst movie ever," and complained about the messy Manchester/Australian/American accents.

This film stars: Matthew Trudeau, Meir Steinberg, T.J. Jagodowski, Richard Cotovsky, Dennis Renard and more.

In my opinion: 

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This is a film with a simple storyline. It’s about the pressures of life, where Austin and Hank have to run the bar they inherited from their family, but the business isn’t doing well. What I found interesting, though, is how darts becomes the main element of the film. I think there are still very few film references about darts. As far as I know, one of the few darts scenes is in the series, “Ted Lasso”. So darts is usually just part of a scene, not the main story.

For me, this is a light but engaging film. I even learned how scoring works in darts. If you like light, funny underdog comedies with a happy ending, you’ll like this movie. It’s a relaxed film perfect for 89 minutes. A lot of people rewatch it because the characters are quite likable.

For me this one is 7/10.

Knowledge Corner:

Do you know the history of darts? The history of darts spans from the battlefield to the professional arenas of the world. Darts may look like a simple game of throwing small arrows at a board. But behind it lies a history of more than 600 years, which transformed it from a pastime for soldiers into a professional sport with prizes worth millions of dollar.

It all began with a wine barrel and English pubs in the 14th century. The history of darts is believed to have started during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, around the 14th century. English archers reportedly filled their free time by throwing short arrows at the bottom of wine barrels. The circular wooden hoops binding the barrels became the origin of the modern dartboard.

In the 19th century, the game became popular in English pubs as entertainment for workers. Early dartboards were made from elm wood, and the distinctive "thud" sound as an arrow hit the board became a signature part of pub atmosphere. In 1896, a carpenter named Brian Gamlin created the 20-1-18 number sequence that we still use today. The purpose was simple: to punish inaccurate players. If you missed the 20, you would hit a 1 or a 5.

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Darts became popular, standardized, and entered the "Golden Age" - 1908 to the 1980s. The year 1908 was a pivotal moment. An English court ruled that darts was not gambling. This decision made it legal to play darts in pubs and bars. Organizations then began to form, including the National Darts Association of Great Britain (1938) and the organization that held the first World Championship, the British Darts Organisation (1973). The 1970s to 1980s are known as the "Golden Age of Darts". Broadcasts on the BBC turned players like Eric Bristow, John Lowe, and Jocky Wilson into national celebrities in England.

Toward a major revolution, In 1993, 16 of the world's top players broke away from the BDO because they were dissatisfied with the prize money and promotion system. They founded the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). This split actually caused darts to explode in popularity. The PDC transformed darts into a show: spotlights, walk-on music, and fantastic prize money. The current PDC World Champion receives £500,000. The BDO eventually struggled and officially went bankrupt in 2020.

In the Modern Era (2000 – 2026), darts has become a global sport with 2 faces:

1. Professional Darts: Led by the PDC, the World Championship at Alexandra Palace in London is attended by 90,000+ people in person. Big names like Phil "The Power" Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, and Luke Humphries have dominated. Then came a phenomenon: Luke Littler. At the age of 16 in 2024, he reached the world final and went viral on TikTok, bringing many young viewers to the sport. 
2. Soft Darts and Electronic Darts: In Asia, America, and Japan, "soft tip darts" with electronic boards are extremely popular. Players can compete online with people on the other side of the world. Here in Indonesia, many bars and cafes in major cities now provide soft dart arenas.

More than just a game, darts is now recognized as a precision sport. It requires high concentration, quick mathematical ability to calculate a 501 score, and strong mental fortitude under pressure.

The journey of darts from a wine barrel on the battlefield, to a wooden board in a pub, and finally to massive arenas with capacities in the tens of thousands is proof that this sport has timeless appeal. Darts succeeded because of 3 things: it is easy to learn, difficult to master, and extremely entertaining. From being just a way to pass the time, darts is now a professional sports industry that continues to grow.