Whether you follow college basketball religiously or couldn’t name the Southern Conference champion from last year, the series offers something universal: the stubborn, hopeful belief that this time, it might finally be different.

Saipan may not fully justify its existence as a feature, but thanks to an incredible central performance from Éanna Hardwicke, solid support from Steve Coogan and a sharp, thriller-like presentation, it stands as a smart, contained drama that is far better than you would expect.