Perhaps like me you see “The Rock” and wrestling in the ads for Fighting With My Family and think to yourself, no thank you! But I reckon you should give this one a chance, folks. Sure it’s about wrestling on the face of it but there’s more to this film.
It’s based on the true story of a young female British World Wrestling Entertainment fighter Paige (Florence Pugh) who fights for her place in the world of professional wrestling having grown up in a family of wrestling enthusiasts. Paige’s brother Zac (Jack Lowden) is desperate for success as a professional wrestler too and the stories of the brother and sister work really well alongside each other, with very different outcomes.
Fighting With My Family is written and directed by Stephen Merchant who is a really accomplished comic actor and writer and he’s a big part of the reason you shouldn’t underestimate this film. I mean, it’s not going to win an Oscar any time soon but it’s charming and funny and has a range of affirming but not preachy messages. Teenage girls especially could take a lot from this film, I reckon.
The cast includes Vince Vaughn, Nick Frost, Dwanye ‘The Rock’ Johnson as himself and a little surprise treat for fans of both Gavin and Stacey and The Bold and the Beautiful (2010-2016 era) TV shows, remarkably.
I reckon this review of Fighting With My Family in Vanity Fair is, well, fair, and you should read it if you want to know more about the story - much more as it does contain spoilers.
Fighting With My Family opens 21 March and is rated M. Trailer here.