If you were to ask me what genre of movie will never die, I’d probably put my money on boxing films. It’s already survived since 1894, when the first live fight was recorded by William K.L. Dickson, and has become so rigidly cinematic that it’s hard not to get swept up by the movies that do it right. The fighters are underdogs, and their battles are symbolic of the fights we all must endure. The image of a battered body raising their arms in victory is immediately evocative, and it’s that enduring narrative that should allow it to limp on for as long as cinema exists.
Bleed for This looks to be following that story to a T, if you couldn’t tell from its title. It’s based on the story of Vinny Paz, a world champion boxer who pushed through a serious car accident to continue his fighting career. Paz is played by Miles Teller, who knows a little something about characters who bleed for their love from his turn in Whiplash. Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, and Ciarán Hinds fill out a solid supporting cast.
U.S. distributor Open Road Films have been sitting on Bleed for This since mid-2015, waiting to position it for an internally vacant awards season run (Open Road Films handled last year’s Oscar Best Picture winner Spotlight). Waiting that long means it rode out Teller’s bumpy run of appearances in the Divergent series and the failed Fantastic Four launch.
None of those failures fall on Teller’s shoulders, though, and Bleed for This should prove to be a stabilizer for him and writer/director Ben Younger, who hasn’t released a film since 2005’s Prime. Besides, it’s not like boxing movies went out of style while it waited its turn.
Bleed for This is directed by Ben Younger and stars Miles Teller, Amanda Clayton, and Aaron Eckhart. It will be released in the U.S. on November 4th, 2016. Further release dates are not currently known.
Do you think Bleed for This will be worth the wait? Let us know in the comments!
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