Fighting With My Family Film Review

Directed by Stephen Merchant

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual material, language throughout, some violence and drug content 

Fighting With My Family is an incredible true story of how now retired WWE superstar Paige entered the wrestling world. Paige, real name Saraya, (played by Florence Pugh) and her brother Zak (played by Jack Lowden) grew up both wrestling fans and even train in it once they become older. One day both Saraya and Zak are given an opportunity to audition for the WWE but only Saraya makes the cut while Zak does not. Paige now has to show that she is worthy of joining the WWE and does her best to do so.

Off the bat, the film is heartwarming with a extraordinary story. Fighting With My Family follows in the vein of other sports underdog films such as Rocky. Saraya, or Paige, has the odds against her and she overcomes it to become the WWE Divas champion. There are points in the training where she is willing to quit but is pushed to go further by her family. It is moments like these that make the film so inspirational and heartwarming.

The film is also surprisingly very funny for one that features heavy drama. The film is directed by Stephen Merchant, who is well known for his comedy, brings his comedy knowledge to the film. There are genuine moments of laugh out loud laughter in multiple scenes. While there are many hilarious moments, there are also many dramatic moments that work as well. While Paige continues with the WWE training, her brother Zak, who was rejected, falls into a deep depression. The film has many emotional moments that are handled very well all due to the acting from Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden.

But the film does feel like one long promotion for the WWE, after all it was produced by WWE Studios. This is evident with the numerous archival footage of the past wrestlers and the WWE logo being present at almost every opportunity. But this is of course a minor grip, it does not totally take away from the viewing experience. Director and writer Stephen Merchant does a well job explaining what the WWE is and why it is so important to the family. So if one is coming into the film without any prior knowledge of wrestling and WWE, the film does explain the entire business.

Fighting With My Family has heart, humor, and emotional depth that makes it so inspirational. If you are a fan of the WWE or Paige, you will definitely enjoy this but even the casual film viewer will enjoy the film for what it is.

3.5/4