THEY FIGHT
Starring: André Holland, Samira Wiley, Wendell Pierce, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Anthony B. Jenkins
Director: Sheldon Candis
AMARÚ
At least once a year, André Holland pops up in a small film to show that he should be a bigger deal in Hollywood. Now granted, They Fight isn’t up to the standard of his last few gems due to a sappy script and simple direction, but he and the cast of veteran Black actors (Wendell Pierce, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Samira Wiley) show up nonetheless. Plus, two more things that kept me engaged are the surprisingly charming young actors and the sense of community the film heavily showcased. "Feel good" does feel good, but I still wish there was more to this one.
ROBERT
When the end credit, spliced-in footage of your sports movie’s real subjects is more compelling than the dramatized sequences of your plot, you have shortcomings. Sheldon Cantis’ They Fight was always lacking something throughout, whether it was stakes, coherent storytelling, or logical transitions; it seemed like some scenes were missing and others carried on too long. Like The Smashing Machine, the documentary on which this was based was likely sufficient for telling its story and didn’t require further exploration. I like the actors involved and the material, but it never pushed itself to be great like the film’s young boxers.
