Dark Match

A group of small-time pro wrestlers find themselves fighting for their lives.

I figured the whole wrestling thing was probably just going to be a bit of set dressing, like stuff usually is in these kinds of movies. It turned out to be a bigger part of the movie than I expected. If you're like me and don't care for wrestling, it shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

Our protagonist is an interesting character. She's aloof, sullen, and has a mean streak. She's also sick of playing the bad guy and propping up white people. Quite understandably, she wants her own shot at the big leagues. A flawed character like that is always a bit chancy, but I thought Ayisha Issa did a good job making her likable, or, at least someone you can root for. I'd be curious to see Miss Behave's further adventures.

Steven Ogg, who plays her boyfriend and a kind of mentor figure, was great. He stole several scenes, and it felt like he was really trying to make this the best movie it could be. He reminded me of Lance Henriksen in that respect. It makes me want to go looking for other movies he's been in. Although some of his lines might come off as a bit preachy, I thought he made them work.

The only others who really got to shine were Mo Adan, who played a mostly mute wrestler, and Sara Canning, who played Issa's opposite: white, perky, and privileged. Canning got to have some fun, and her character had a bit more depth than it first seemed. Still it would have been nice to have seen even more depth. The character had some real potential if they'd mined deeper. Adan was also given more than you'd expect but, again, not as much as you'd like.

Chris Jericho shows up. As someone who doesn't know anything about wrestling, I didn't recognize him. I thought he was a bit theatrical and hammy, but it certainly makes a lot more sense now that I've done a Google search on him. It also probably suits his character. If you're a wrestling fan, I think this will probably be the highlight the movie for you. For me, some of his scenes seemed kind of like filler.

I liked the writing and directing, but I also felt that this could have a great B movie if they'd tried just a bit harder. Not everyone wants to watch B movies. I get that. But for a certain audience, these are the most fun ever put on film. After seeing WolfCop and Dark Match, I think Lowell Dean has what it takes to make a cult movie in that will live forever in the minds of fans. One day, I think he's going to knock it out of the park, and it's going to be the most memorable thing you've seen on Netflix.

The characters were nearly there, but they needed another little push. The plot was a bit close to Green Room, which featured a punk band in dire straits. But I liked how bonkers the plot was, and I wanted it to be even more bonkers. I wanted it to go off the rails, like it teased at the end. I wanted it to go to 11. I think that if we ever get a sequel, it may in fact do so.

I liked Dark Match more than I thought I would, and I think other fans of WolfCop will like it, too. Give it a chance.

Saw this at the Imagine film festival 2024 in Amsterdam. The plot itself may not be interesting or relevant, but it is shown in a beautiful way, yet not for the faint of heart, with lots of blood and gore. Even fatalities can be expected, so not everyone (euphemism alert) is still standing in the end. The supernatural twist in the end may not satisfy everyone, however, but the pentagram in the basement predicted that something bad was planned all along, and dark powers need dead corpses as an unwritten rule.

Outside normal arenas and without official rules, this type of wrestling can be very destructive, as we see here. The audience cheers, whatever happens, and doesn't mind open wounds, reams of blood, broken limbs, or other serious injuries. Previously, I always assumed that a lot of theater was involved when I saw it on TV. That may be so for the official wrestling matches, but what we watch here is beyond mercy for the losers. Moreover, it was planned from the outset by the event organizers that five fatally wounded were to be "produced" for the pentagram to complete.

Lucky for us, and for the tension we were waiting for, the division between winners and losers is not along the lines that were foreseen by the one who presided over the match. The visiting group of wrestlers was more creative and resourceful than we thought at first.

All in all, though I am not interested in this type of sport, it was interesting to watch this story and all its developments, most of which were unexpected and unplanned. The supernatural twist did not harm either to arrive at a 4/5 score for the audience award when leaving the venue.

Dark Match has a surprisingly unique premise, as we follow a group of wrestlers who sign up for an underground event called a "Dark Match." Shortly after the event begins, they realize that the stakes are much higher than championship belts and a few bruises.

The immediate eye-catcher for me was seeing Stephen Ogg in the cast. I've always liked his acting, and ever since GTA V was released, I've been a huge fan of him and his work. He is not the main character here, though; that role belongs more to his sort-of girlfriend, "Miss Behave," played by Ayisha Issa. Both actors portrayed their characters really well and got the most out of their roles, which were interesting in themselves. The rest of the cast, including Chris Jericho, was mostly good, with a few exceptions.

The movie features some entertaining wrestling sequences and consistently avoids becoming too predictable, always introducing something new to keep the audience engaged. At times, it felt like the film wanted to explore more themes than it could handle, which led to an inconsistent tone throughout. It also suffered from pacing issues and some poorly lit scenes. However, the strong characters and unique plot made up for those shortcomings. I found myself caring about the characters and genuinely curious to see what would happen next, which is generally a good sign.

Unfortunately, the movie didn't fully reach the potential of its premise, and there were only a few truly memorable moments. I enjoyed director Lowell Dean's previous WolfCop films for their trashy and schlocky charm, and while Dark Match had similar tones, it took a slightly more serious approach despite the bonkers plot. The film was overall enjoyable but also a bit messy and definitely flawed. Still, I had a decent time watching it, even though I don't know much about wrestling. I feel like fans of the sport could find even more to enjoy here, and I'm curious to see what director Lowell Dean does next. He always seems able to craft likable low-budget flicks with heart. [5.4/10]

Running a special show in a new arena, a woman hoping for a big break in her career joins several other local wrestlers in a run-down venue for a shady promoter, but when they start to become suspicious of their host they realize that there's Satanic rituals in play and must get away alive.

This was a bit underwhelming and had some issues with it. Among the main enjoyable factors with this one is the central setup of the group arriving at the venue and finding themselves at the beginning stages of the takeover. With just enough background on the different characters as to why they would go through the short-notice program just days before the supposed show, there's a lot to enjoy here with this one going for the slow-building revelation about them being duped once they get to the facility and put through the ringer during their matches. As the night goes on and they realize that the whole thing has been a setup, using the type of matches they're to go through involving special rules and stipulations as well as being fought to the death, this offers up an intriguing enough premise and some fine brutality in the action playing up to that. However, beyond that, there are some big drawbacks holding this back. The main detrimental factor here is that there's no clue what the plan for the villains really is as they introduce multiple plot threads to be an acceptable point but never settle on one. Initially brought into the venue thinking the purpose is to participate in a special show for locals only to get put off by the barbaric rituals, this sets up the idea of the show being a revenge killing against the new group arriving for the show. Then it brings up the purpose of the whole thing as a Satanic ritual used to summon their dark masters before bringing up the experience being recorded and broadcast to others who enjoy this kind of material and then finally a bit of revenge for his family. This is immensely disorganized and jarring leaving this one too scattered to be of much use. The other real detriment to this one is the rather unimpressive plot as a whole where it never really feels like much of an actual story is taking place. The idea of getting the group to the building and using them for nefarious purposes other than a wrestling card is fine, but how this one presents everything needs a lot of work. From the general lack of information on the different figures going along with the mission while also getting all the confusing information about the villains, what the purpose of the wrestling matches is supposed to accomplish, and where the throughline of the whole congregation of cultists getting what they wanted only to be turned off and frightened at it so the finale makes little sense, this has some real trouble getting some cohesion out of everything. As well as some rather obvious low-budget material found here, this one has some issues to hold it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and drug use.

I wasn't expecting much from this film but I was very surprised. As a big wrestling fan I had fun watching this cheese fest. But the reason I couldn't review this higher is because of the horrendous acting of Chris Jericho. As a former word champion I expected him to at least be able to act in a wrestling film of all things. But no his ridiculous bad guy cult leader is just painful to watch. He's more wooden than a barn door. Thankfully though the rest of the cast are fantastic. Well worth a watch just ignore Jericho and his obnoxious attempt at acting. Steven ogg as always is a huge shining show stealing star we need more of.