Uppercut
October 7th, 2025
MOVIE: UPPERCUT
STARRING: LUISE GROẞMANN, VING RHAMES, JORDAN E. COOPER, JOANNA CASSIDY
DIRECTED BY: TORSTEN RUETHER
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 104 MINUTES
The story centers on Toni (Luise Großmann), a boxing manager we first meet as she supports her fighter, Payne Harris (Jordan E. Cooper), while worrying about her sick child at home. We’re then thrown into a flashback, watching her enter a gritty New York gym in search of a place to train- or perhaps restart her own boxing ambitions. There she meets Elliott (Ving Rhames), a seasoned trainer, surprised to see anyone show up so late. He listens as Toni shares her story. The film then alternates between their ongoing conversation and scenes of Toni pacing the locker room, ultimately amounting to a whole lot of nothing.
Written and directed by Torsten Ruether, the film feels like a personal showcase for Großmann- a platform for her acting chops. While her performance is committed, the effort often feels forced. The film aspires to be a Million Dollar Baby-style drama, where a wise trainer imparts wisdom to a determined fighter, but Ruether doesn’t seem interested in crafting a meaningful bond between the characters. Instead, he’s content to have his actors deliver overwritten, clichéd monologues that rarely serve the story.
Ving Rhames brings some gravitas to the film, as always, but the script gives him little to work with. Rhames, who was underused in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, is even more sidelined here. His character isn’t developed; he’s simply there to be spoken at rather than engage in any genuine exchange with Großmann’s character. Joanna Cassidy also appears in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it role, seemingly in the corner of another fighter, though her relationship to Toni or the match is never explained.
Beyond the heavy-handed dialogue, Uppercut is a structural mess. The pacing drags, the visual style is murky, and the boxing sequences are poorly staged. The lighting is often too dim, the choreography looks unconvincing, and some training moments are just baffling. In one scene, Rhames’ character throws tennis balls at Toni- one hits her in the face, cutting her eye as if it were a razor blade. It’s the kind of moment that would be funny if it didn’t seem like everyone involved was genuinely trying their best.
Sadly, Uppercut is a case of good intentions lost in poor execution. Throw in the towel on this one.
1 STAR
UPPERCUT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO RENT ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Written by: Leo Brady
