The Fire Inside
The Fire Inside
Claressa Shields, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
The tried and true inspirational underdog sports biopic formula actually wasn’t working for me at first. A surprise, because I usually eat that up and I had been looking forward to this one for a while. Thankfully, it’s when the film veers from the formula and explores what life is like after the triumph that this film started to take off. Written by Barry Jenkins, I should have expected to be treated to more than a standard sports biopic. Rachel Morrison gives a strong directorial debut effort in a film that explores what happens when American Dreams meets the realities of socio-economic, and gender divide. Both Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry are excellent in this inspiring true story. Worth checking out.