Throughout the releases of critical darlings and box office successes, several boxing movies have gone rather under the radar.Rocky(1976),Raging Bull(1980),Million Dollar Baby(2004) — these are some of the most famous movies ever made, and they all revolve around the sweet science. By far, boxing is thesportthat makes for the highest-quality films.
The films on this list were made by talented directors, and for the most part, they feature star-studded casts. There is no telling how they came up short, whether analyzing their success from a box office perspective or one of critical reception. Here’s hoping they get more love. These are ten underrated boxing movies that should’ve been knockout hits, ranked.
10The Hammer (2007)
Perhaps the funniest boxing movie ever isThe Hammer(2007), starring Adam Carrola as a construction worker. On his fortieth birthday, he decides to channel his past aspirations of pugilism and joinsthe U.S. Olympic boxing team. On top of providing the leading effort, Carrola also co-wrote the script forThe Hammeralongside Kevin Hench, while Charles Herman-Wurmfeld signed on as director.
An Overlooked Comedy
Although it garnered great thoughts from pundits of the industry, Adam Carrola’s magnum opus holds a particular paucity of popularity. Sure, it received a limited release in theaters, but still. It by no means made waves at the worldwide box office, and even today,The Hammeris rarely held in discussion by fans. Here’s hoping that changes soon enough.StreamThe Hammerfor free on Tubi.
9Journeyman (2017)
The 2010s was the era of underrated boxing movies, starting withJourneyman(2017) by Paddy Considine. On top of taking the auteur role, Considine also stars as Matty Burton, a Middleweight champion boxer who’s currently passed his prime. He’s getting older, and in his most recent title defense, he absorbs a flurry of strong punches to the head that leave life-altering effects.
A Touching Tale of Violence
Jodie Whittaker plays his wife, Emma, who makes various attempts to care for her husband once he starts experiencing the fallout from his fight.She eventually leaves him, resulting in a touching tale that went unfortunately beneath the radar upon release. Audiences should’ve tuned into the critical consensus for this one — in a decade full of underrated boxing movies,Journeymanis one of the best.
8Triumph of the Spirit (1989)
Although the fights inTriumph of the Spirit(1989) can be somewhat lackluster at times, lead actor Willem Dafoe does display decent technique as an orthodox boxer. A Jewish Greek dockworker, Salamo Arouch was also a boxer, who made it through the Holocaust by participating in fights for entertainment of the Nazi party. An underappreciated story directed with passion by an overlooked filmmaker named Robert M. Young.
Hard-Hitting Plot Points
With legitimate stakes on the line in each of his matches, Salamo undergoes palpable development, and Dafoe performs perfectly (as per usual) with every punch he throws. It’s one of his most overlooked performances, and althoughTriumph of the Spiritas a whole is far from the greatest boxing movie ever made, it deserves to be known as more thana bomb at the box office. Alas, not even the consensus from critics will quite do justice to its quality.StreamTriumph of the Spiritfor free on Tubi.
7Jawbone (2017)
Off the bat, it’s worth noting thatJawbone(2017) received rave reviews from critics. Widespread acclaim, but alas, audiences hardly know it exists. Highly overlooked from a perspective of name value, and that’s in spite of a rather star-studded cast. Along with portraying Jimmy McCabe, the film’s leading fighter, English actor Johnny Harris also made his screenwriting debut here withJawbone. And frankly, he deserves far more credit for the work.
McCabe’s Comeback
Attempting to land his life on a different trajectory, McCabe recruits his old boxing buddies and mounts a career comeback. A compelling plot, with even more engrossing efforts from the names of the cast. On top of Harris, there’s also Ray Winstone and Ian McShane, two famous figures of the film industry. No telling how their names didn’t bolster the success ofJawbone.StreamJawbonefor free on Tubi.
6The Boxer (1997)
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the eponymous prizefighter,The Boxer(1997) was relatively successful upon release. It’s fallen unfortunately by the wayside since, but still: Director Jim Sheridan guided his greatest collaborator with poise and passion through every hard-hitting punch in the ring. After starring inMy Left Foot(1989) and receiving widespread acclaim, Daniel Day-Lewis jumped at the opportunity to work with Jim Sheridan once again.
Iconic Collaborators
Their next film wasIn the Name of the Father(1993), followed by this underrated boxing movie.Day-Lewis plays Danny Flynn, an ex-convict who looks to turn his life around by renovating a local boxing gym. He also competes throughout the plot, and balances a relationship with Maggie, who’s played by Emily Watson. The two perform wonderfully, and as a whole,The Boxerholds up, as well.RentThe Boxeron Apple TV.
5Southpaw (2015)
Considering the fame and talent of American actor Jake Gyllenhaal, it’s a true anomaly how so many of the movies in which he’s starred — such asSouthpaw(2015) by Antoine Fuqua — have been underrated throughout the years. Here in this emotional sports outing, Gyllenhaal plays Billy “The Great” Hope, who starts off the plot feeling on top of the world.
Gyllenhaal the Fighter
On top of being the reigning middleweight champion, Billy has a loving family, to boot. But when his wife Maureen (played wonderfully by Rachel McAdams) gets shot, Billy’s life slowly falls apart. In one of his sincerest roles to-date, Gyllenhaal shines inSouthpawas the eponymous, left-handed prizefighter. It’s easy to see why he was cast in the recent remake ofRoad House(2024).StreamSouthpawon Showtime.
Related:12 Underrated Jake Gyllenhaal Movies, Ranked
4The Hurricane (1999)
For some reason, time has not been kind to the name value ofThe Hurricane(1999), the self-proclaimed masterpiece of director Norman Jewison.It features Denzel Washingtonin the lead role, and he provides one of his all-time greatest performances as Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, a middleweight contender who’s wrongfully arrested for murder.
A Famous Tale
Although you may not be familiar with either this story or the name Rubin Carter, there’s a solid chance fans have heard the Bob Dylan song “The Hurricane” at some point in time. It tells the tale of the same boxer, and the song is even featured in the movie. It’s more popular than the movie counterpart, even being featured as a needle drop in other famous films likeDazed and Confused(1993). It’s most appropriately used with Denzel.StreamThe Hurricaneon Starz.
3Resurrecting the Champ (2007)
Resurrecting the Champ
From Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett’s co-written script,Resurrecting the Champ(2007) was directed by Israeli American filmmaker Rod Lurie. It’s based on J. R. Moehringer’s article of the same name, originally published in the Los Angeles Time Magazine, homing in on the tale of a fictional character named Bob Satterfield. He’s played by Samuel L. Jackson, and he’s arguably the film’s primary takeaway. However, the protagonist is actually Josh Hartnett’s character, Erik Kernan Jr.
Endearing Characters
Both of the leads perform brilliantly as Erik, a journalist, writes a story about Satterfield. At least, the man who claims to be Satterfield, a former (and, again: fictional) heavyweight boxer. In reality, Sam Jackson plays Tommy Kincaid, impersonating the pugilist, lying to the protagonist andchallenging the latter’s journalistic integrity. With high-quality screenwriting and memorable performances led by brilliant direction,Resurrecting the Champshould’ve been held in much higher regard by critics. Let alone fans of boxing films.StreamResurrecting the Champfor free on Tubi.
2Chuck (2016)
Based on a real-life pugilist, this movie — aptly titledChuck(2016) — features Liev Schreiber as the titular character, Chuck Wepner. For those unfamiliar: This is the man who inspired Sylvester Stallone to pen the script for the originalRocky, as Chuck Wepner once went over 14 rounds with the famous Muhammad Ali. He got knocked out, but still. Pretty impressive.
An Overlooked Biopic
That’s whatChuckrevolves around: the experiences of Wepner as the world learns of his story by watching the historical movieRocky. Quite ironic, isn’t it? That’s the most famous boxing movie ever made, whileChuckis among the least, in spite of a compelling plot anda powerful performance from Schreiber. He clearly had admiration for the figure, and so did director Phillippe Falardeua. They both deserve more credit.StreamChuckfor free on Tubi.
Related:The 25 Most Underrated Sports Movies Ever Made
1Bleed for This (2016)
Bleed For This
Although not many fans have heard of it,Bleed for This(2016) — written and directed by the talented Ben Younger — further shows how packed the 2010s were with well-made boxing movies. Based on a true story, it stars Miles Teller as Vinny Pazienza, a former champion who comes back from the most devastating injury the sport has ever seen. It’s a gripping story, with an unforgettable performance from a famous Hollywood actor.
A Committed Miles Teller
It’s evident that Teller did his research, studying Pazienza’s boxing bouts and listening to his interviews with the media. He even corresponded with the real-life pugilist, and overall, Teller’s efforts paid off in spades. He gives one of his greatest performances yet in an all-time underrated boxing movie. Hopefully,Bleed for Thiswill gain a following down the line. StreamBleed For Thison Max.
