Against the Ropes

Burning Up

1930 · ★ 5.3

Racecar-driver Lou Larrigan gets mixed up with a crooked gang of racetrack promoters, and is in love with Ruth Morgan, whose father is marked as a victim by the gang.

Kids Return

1996 · ★ 6.9

Shinji and Masaru spend most of their school days harassing fellow classmates and playing pranks. They drop out and Shinji becomes a small-time boxer, while Masaru joins up with a local yakuza gang. However, the world is a tough place.

Personal Best

1982 · ★ 6

Young sprinter Chris Cahill is having difficulty reaching her potential as an athlete, until she meets established track star Tory Skinner. As Tory and her coach help Chris with her training, the two women form friendship that evolves into a romantic relationship. Their intimacy, however, becomes complicated when Chris' improvement causes them to be competitors for the Olympic team.

The Boy of The Fish

2024 · ★ 6

"The Boy Of The Fish" follows Noon, a young boy living in a Syrian refugee camp, who finds solace and a sense of freedom in a whale-shaped doll he names "Bahr." Set against the challenging realities of camp life, Noon’s journey is both a story of resilience and a testament to the boundless imagination of childhood. Through vivid symbolism and a unique soundscape, the film explores themes of loss, hope, and the longing for freedom amidst confinement. Shot entirely on an iPhone due to restrictions in the conflict zone, the film combines raw authenticity with poetic depth to capture the emotional landscape of a young soul navigating adversity.

Firmin

2007 · ★ 5.3

After almost thirty years, Germaine, Firmin's great love, suddenly returns to her hometown. Firmin is overjoyed and determined to win Germaine's heart back, but Germaine rejects his advances. Then Mohammed Boutrous, a young and talented boxer, seeks out Firmin. He wants Firmin to train him. Firmin accepts, hoping to regain his honor and the love of his life...

Somebody Up There Likes Me

1956 · ★ 7.2

The story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.

Twitching

When Ella makes a strange discovery about the lifestyle choices of her internet date, the recently bereaved Mark, she must choose whether to stay in her own comfort zone or take part in his unconventional grieving process. Twitching is irreverent, playful and subversive in its exploration of gendered narratives, relationship boundaries and grief.

From Mexico With Love

2009 · ★ 5.8

A washed-up trainer takes a self-destructive young boxer under his wing.

Challenge

1984 · ★ 9

A young man accepts a wealthy tycoon's challenge to achieve success on his own terms. As he navigates obstacles and rivalries, he sets out to prove that with determination, anything is possible.

The Taste of Knuckles

2016

Pancho is a young man who lives with his father picking up garbage. He wants to escape poverty and the yoke of his father; all he has to achieve it are his fists.

The Tango Lesson

1997 · ★ 6.4

On a trip to Paris Sally meets Pablo, a tango dancer. He starts teaching her to dance then she returns to London to work on some "projects". She visits Buenos Aires and learns more from Pablo's friends. Sally and Pablo meet again but this time their relationship changes, she realises they want different things from each other. On a trip to Buenos Aires they cement their friendship.

Heart Like a Wheel

1983 · ★ 5.8

Shirley Muldowney is determined to be a top-fuel drag racer, although no woman has ever raced them before. Despite the high risks of this kind of racing and the burden it places on her family life, she perseveres in her dream.