Fighting with my Family launched at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday (Jan 28th), here’s what the critics has to say:
Kate Erbland for Indie Wire
“Florence Pugh commands the ring in Fighting With My Family, an underdog wrestling comedy with lots of heart alongside some likeable sports-movie clichés. Based on the Bevis family, a close-knit Norwich clan bonded by their shared love of the faux-violent entertainment, the film benefits from Pugh’s charismatic performance and writer-director Stephen Merchant’s cheery mixture of crowd-pleasing sentiment, wry laughs and genuine sweetness.”
“But what keeps the movie happily zipping along is Pugh’s irrepressible buoyancy. Merchant also makes sure to supply laughs throughout, some concerning the siblings’ star-struck reaction to meeting Dwayne Johnson. Sometimes Fighting With My Family can be routine in its plotting and obvious in its emotional beats. But the film never fakes its affection for these very appealing characters.”
Read the full review at Indiewire.com
Rosie Knight for IGN
“Though it is a WWE production that stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Merchant’s is very much a British film. There’s something magical about the authenticity and realism that Merchant and his stellar cast–including Nick Frost, Lena Headey, and Florence Pugh, who is brilliant as Saraya A.K.A. Paige–bring to the story of a working class family of wrestlers and their daughter’s journey to the big time. Frost and Headey are charming, providing plenty of comedy relief as Saraya’s parents, and Jack Lowden turns in an affecting performance as her wrestling-obsessed brother Zak who dreams of nothing more than joining the ranks of the WWE. Pugh herself is at the heart of what makes the film great, and as anyone who saw her in Lady Macbeth can attest she’s a powerhouse. Although this is an entirely different kind of performance, she’s electric as she throws herself into this unusual role.”
Read the full review on the IGN website
Ian Sandwell for Digital Spy
4 STARS*
“Stepping into the ring as the two-time Divas champion Paige is Florence Pugh, showcasing a new side to her that confirms her as one of the brightest talents around.We knew she was great with darker material as in Lady Macbeth and The Little Drummer Girl, but here she gets to exercise her funny bone, as well as a decent Norfolk accent. It’s an engaging performance that sees the movie through its more clichéd sports biopic moments. Fighting with My Family is just so good-hearted in nature that you can’t help but get won over by its charm, however familiar it feels at times. Powered by Pugh’s terrific turn, it’s an affecting and consistently funny underdog tale. You’ll be happy to return to the ring for a rematch.”
Read the full review on the Digital Spy website