Netflix has an unimaginable quantity of sports activities documentaries in its again catalogue. 

Untold, a collection of immaculate options about the strangest, most unimaginable tales in sport over the previous few many years, is on the high of the heap. However there’s one below watched documentary I hardly ever hear individuals focus on. And they need to, as a result of it is unimaginable.

Coming in at an accessible 40 minutes, The Velocity Cubers is a brief, barely feature-length documentary about velocity cubing, the act of fixing several types of Rubik’s Cubes as rapidly as potential. 

Velocity cubing is thoughts boggling. Most individuals would wrestle to determine a 3x3x3 Rubik’s Dice in hours if challenged, however one of the best can clear up them in seconds. The Velocity Cubers explores this subculture, specializing in the tales of two of the world’s quickest, the legendary Feliks Zemdegs and the brand new king of velocity cubing, Max Park. 

In some methods, Zemdegs is the Roger Federer of Rubik’s Cubes. Regardless of the very fact each velocity cubing report he as soon as held has now been damaged, he is broadly thought-about the best of all time, having established as much as 121 world data and profitable the velocity cubing world championship twice, in 2013 and 2015. 

Zemdegs is the hero of Parks, who now, in 2022, has damaged virtually each report Zemdegs as soon as held. Now 20 years outdated, Park was identified with average to extreme autism on the age of two. After his mom gave him a Rubik’s Dice to assist develop his motor expertise, Parks rapidly turned obsessive about fixing all completely different sorts of cubes. By way of his participation in velocity cubing competitions, Max not solely discovered his ardour, he discovered a approach to socially develop and make nice pals within the course of. 

What may have simply been a bog-standard story a few once-legendary determine passing the torch in the end evolves into one thing much more profound. Not solely are Felix and Max pals, however Felix is one thing of a task mannequin for Park — not simply within the creating artwork of velocity cubing, however in easy methods to deal with himself socially. 

Zemdegs’ delicate interactions with Park and his household are on the core of this documentary, they usually’re stunning to look at. Particularly as Zemdegs wrestles with the challenges of now not being on the apex of the interest he devoted his life to perfecting.

It is heartwarming stuff. Regardless of its brief runtime, The Velocity Cubers serves as a incredible portrait of two very completely different people each relentlessly dedicated to the identical pursuit. Past that, it is also a narrative in regards to the true worth of sport, and the connection between these competing towards each other. Solely one in all these two unimaginable human beings might be one of the best velocity cuber on the planet, however within the grand scheme of issues, does it matter who? The Velocity Cubers is a narrative about some of the fascinating subcultures on planet Earth, but it surely’s additionally a narrative about what it means to be a great particular person. And a great pal.