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Films centered on athletics continue to find critical and commercial success due to their ability to touch the hearts of even those who've never scored a point in sports before in their lives. Just as a newcomer to football can attend their first live game and find it exhilarating, anyone can tune into, say, a wrestling film and quickly relate to its universal themes of suffering and perseverance. Nike Athlete Anthony Robles' acclaimed new biopic Unstoppable is dropping on Prime Video soon and chronicles the NCAA champion wrestler's rise to glory amid harrowing challenges, including his broken family's financial hardships and — maybe you've heard this one — the fact that Robles was born with only one leg.

MovieWeb recently had the chance to speak with Robles, now a motivational speaker and published author, who is portrayed with a certain ferocity and grace by Emmy-winning actor Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight). Robles opened up...

The NCAA wrestling champion of a certain weight class in 2011 is a remarkable individual, and not just because he was born with one leg. Anthony Robles journeyed a tough road to glory and has continued to inspire budding athletes and dreamers in general in the years following his athletic dominance era, going on to become a published author, motivational speaker, and official Nike Athlete. And now, his acclaimed wrestling biopic is about to drop on Prime Video, adapted from Robles' engrossing autobiography, Unstoppable.

Award-winning actor Jharrel Jerome portrays Robles with a certain tenacity that is sure to continue the revival of the sports genre we saw in 2024 (with The Fire Inside and Day of the Fight). MovieWeb recently caught up with the rising star to learn more about what it took to tackle such a fierce and unique role. "When I got the part, I saw a YouTube video of Anthony,...

This review was originally published on September 9, 2024, as a part of our Toronto International Film Festival coverage.

It’s been a minute since a sports drama has made me teary, but Unstoppable is powerful storytelling that elicits an emotional response. Directed by William Goldenberg from a screenplay by Eric Champnella, John Hindman, and Alex Harris, Unstoppable is based on the true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who, with only one leg, won the national wrestling championship in 2011. The sports drama is deeply moving, not only because of Robles’ phenomenal accomplishments, but his mother Judy’s (Jennifer Lopez), as well. It’s the kind of movie that’s simultaneously a feel-good tear-jerker that’s deeply personal in the themes it tackles.

Despite being born with one leg, Anthony Robles overcomes significant challenges both at home and in the competitive world of wrestling. His determination and relentless drive lead him to...