Embattled

Pleasantly surprised by this movie, strong performances all around... especially Stephen Dorff hit a real homerun with this one. His character is very obviously based on a famous MMA fighter, but he has put his own twist on it and he doesn't miss a beat. Even though the story is great, it could've been fleshed out a little bit more concerning the history and relationships... but despite that it still has a lot of heart and a lot to offer. Absolutely recommended to watch.

What could have been another corny fight themed movie , turn quite compelling and sensitive because of the actors performances, A world famous MMA fighter with a extreme ego and lifestyle trains his teenage son to follow in his footsteps, but his abusive ways towards previous life gets in the way of progress, his former family suffered and continue to pick up the pieces and takes it's toll on his son, a altercation gets leaked from a family event, causes a rift between father and son, it's turns into a big MMA event pitting father against son, the battle turns into two individuals that have to battle their personal demons in the public and in the ring, the fight scenes were well put together , but the quiet moments between the cast and their interactions make this movie interesting and more watchable, you root for the son to mature and follow his own dream and guide his life in a more stable way, you applaud him also for being a loving brother to his special needs brother and loyal son to his mother and help her keep their lives from falling apart, his father is a monster , person who soul is tormented by abuse and all the success in the world, don't cure that , the conclusion of the film that did not have a real resolution, and that to me was the only real problem, I had with this film, overall watchable movie that touches on a real sensitive issue of domestic violence from a different point of view.

This was a great father son story. It almost seemed like even Stephen Dorff who is always great at playing villains had trouble grappling with the disgusting choices his character makes as a father in this film. The son played by Darren Mann does an excellent job playing a stoic son and I always love seeing Elizabeth Reaser and Donald Faison on screen. Shout-out to Karruche who also did an excellent job. This is a great movie to watch if you liked the show Kingdom with Frank Grillo.

I don't really like boxing, but this film is very engaging. It tells a complex story of right or wrong, father-and-son relationship and domestic violence. This film is not just about fights, but about how you can be a good person. I am surprised by how attached I feel to the characters.

Well, this film was not what I was expecting - and that's a good thing.

Firstly, outstanding casting and performances, especially Darren Mann, and, I'd say an Oscar worthy performance by Stephen Dorff who channeled his inner Conor McGregor, and a drunk deadbeat father and ex, like a champ.

At the start, I was a little lost in the story and it's characters. But then came to realize that even without the MMA storyline, this would've still been an outstanding film about a single mom due to an abusive past relationship, raising her kids on her own - one being in the autistic spectrum. Then add the story of her eldest son who's been manifesting the abusive past relationship with his father. Now how do we mix in some action into this story MMA style? Behold, Embattled.

This is writer David McKenna's only 11th writing credit, and he nailed it like a seasoned screenwriter. This film is a different kind of fighter story, one where the consequences of the fight are more important than the win-loss records of its fighters. It's an unforgettable family dynamics drama, that merely uses MMA as a jumping off point to far more interesting realms about emotional catharsis, both for the characters and for the viewer. The emotional heft of this story makes this one of the best sports films I've seen in a long time.

The cinematography was great and the score very fitting. The 117 min runtime felt a little long with the sometimes slow pacing, and I felt there were a little too many slow-mo shots. But considering this is amateur director Nick Sarkisov's 2nd ever dabble in filmmaking as producer and director, I'm going to be forgiving, because his directing otherwise, was on par with seasoned filmmakers, and for that, mad props and respect.

I can finally say during these times of isolation, this is a must-see film, and I will certainly be watching it again. It's a well deserved 9/10 from me. To see my review and rating system, or more of my 1000+ reviews, simply click on my username.