Southpaw

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: July 24, 2015

7.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 425 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

AliceofXAug 25, 2015

Southpaw is a film that had a potential to be really good but it failed to achieve that goal. The cast is great and give us good and believable characters and if the film had a better plot they could have really shined. Jake Gyllenhaal givesSouthpaw is a film that had a potential to be really good but it failed to achieve that goal. The cast is great and give us good and believable characters and if the film had a better plot they could have really shined. Jake Gyllenhaal gives another great performance and I wish his character could have had a better story.

Instead the story is clichéd and very derivative. Some films can make it work despite all that but Southpaw brought nothing to make it truly well liked and is therefore placed amid mediocrity.

Without going into plot spoilers I will only say my biggest problem was with the contrived drama. It seemed fake and over Hollywood-ized. It went against the sense of realism that the movie was trying to build. Basically full of those moments where the music gets sad and you're supposed to get sad because they tell you to but you don't because the story has not been built good enough.

Which is not to say I didn't enjoy it all. Some parts were interesting but they don't really come together to a pleasing whole. Southpaw might be a good watch at home, on the TV, but for the big screen there is nothing grand about it.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

All this user's reviews

Friskytiger81Sep 24, 2015

I was never expecting an original work of art in the underdog boxing oeuvre, but when the trailer shows the most dramatic turn, it's tough to be surprised. Again, Gyllenhaal's performance saves an otherwise lackluster script that first castedI was never expecting an original work of art in the underdog boxing oeuvre, but when the trailer shows the most dramatic turn, it's tough to be surprised. Again, Gyllenhaal's performance saves an otherwise lackluster script that first casted Eminem (Eminem, folks) as the lead. That movie would have felt more like a biopic of the little white guy in Mike Tyson's Punchout.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

CapnAwesomeSep 12, 2015

Great acting Gyllenhaal in this movie, but the story was a bit too drawn out and too fantastic for my liking. Going into this movie, I was expecting more fighting scenes rather than Hope's character struggles.
Good movie, but it could'veGreat acting Gyllenhaal in this movie, but the story was a bit too drawn out and too fantastic for my liking. Going into this movie, I was expecting more fighting scenes rather than Hope's character struggles.
Good movie, but it could've been more exciting.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

moviecritic68Sep 16, 2015

The overall rating for this movie is a little too high for my liking. Most of the performances were played out well but the story itself was dull & predictable. I agree with others on the overuse of cliches. Would recommend to others toThe overall rating for this movie is a little too high for my liking. Most of the performances were played out well but the story itself was dull & predictable. I agree with others on the overuse of cliches. Would recommend to others to wait until out on DVD.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

IzagoDec 21, 2018

Um filme legal com ótimo elenco, a história simples de alguém tentando dar a volta por cima, mas eu penso ele era o campeão mundial de tudo sem nunca ter perdido mais de 40 lutas e ele tinha mais o que aprender? Eu achei muito estranho, oUm filme legal com ótimo elenco, a história simples de alguém tentando dar a volta por cima, mas eu penso ele era o campeão mundial de tudo sem nunca ter perdido mais de 40 lutas e ele tinha mais o que aprender? Eu achei muito estranho, o filme é totalmente previsível e segue como o esperado.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

StevieGJDAug 14, 2015

Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely terrific in this film. His performance is stunning. While she is on the screen, Rachel McAdams is excellent too. But the movie otherwise is extremely manipulative, very obvious, jam packed full of cliches andJake Gyllenhaal is absolutely terrific in this film. His performance is stunning. While she is on the screen, Rachel McAdams is excellent too. But the movie otherwise is extremely manipulative, very obvious, jam packed full of cliches and bursting with generalized caricatures (the trainer/mentor with a heart of gold, the evil promoter, the petulant child, and the purely and unredeemingly evil opponent). And I'll say this: 50 Cent is a great rapper. But he is a stiff as an actor. He has a celebrity cache that many find appealing. But the guy really cannot act. If you don't know what's going to happen at the end of the movie as soon as the major conflict arises, then you either haven't read enough or seen enough movies to understand how these sorts of melodramatic cliche stories traditionally resolve. I remember loving the first Rocky movie when I was a little kid, when it came out. Many of the "boxing picture" cliches were extant in that film. But I didn't know it then because I was a kid. Yet Apollo Creed's character had depth and was more than just "the evil bad guy." What got worse as the Rocky movies went on was that the villains got dumber. This movie just jumps straight to the worst possible bad guy in the world. Just terrible writing. While I was watching it, I knew a number of people were going to like it, but I also knew it was just not a very good movie. What a waste of a great acting performance.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

All this user's reviews

TheKavehJAug 6, 2015

The music and parts of it are great, but I felt that Southpaw got out of focus in the middle of the movie. Jake Gylenhall and all the other stars were amazing, but the movie lost me in the middle.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

All this user's reviews

FilmPhonicJul 25, 2015

We’ve come to expect a certain level of intensity from a Jake Gyllenhaal film in recent years and ‘Southpaw’ is no exception, the dramatic performance out of the ring is strong but the dedication shown to becoming utterly convincing as a proWe’ve come to expect a certain level of intensity from a Jake Gyllenhaal film in recent years and ‘Southpaw’ is no exception, the dramatic performance out of the ring is strong but the dedication shown to becoming utterly convincing as a pro boxer is extraordinary, even from him.

With the help of former pro-boxer and trainer-to-the-stars Terry Claybon, Gyllenhaal had only 8 months to not only physically transform into a peak-conditioned boxer without looking like a bodybuilder, but also had to learn to box from scratch by living full-time as a fighter.

The result is a brutally honest and convincing portrayal of a prize-fighter, although to the trained eye he might not look like the undefeated light-heavyweight world champ “Billy Hope” is supposed to be, it’s about as close as an actor with no boxing background is likely to get.

It’s really a great shame then that for all his efforts, Gyllenhaal ‘s monumental performance only just manages to carry along a story that’s painfully predicable and recycles multiple clichés in fight and sport film history, not to mention every riches-to-rags and redemption story too.

‘Southpaw’ was originally set to star rapper Eminem in a boxing drama mirroring his own life, but although the star and director changed, the story remained a gritty but unoriginal and melodramatic narrative which ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.

The Bottom Line…
Jake Gyllenhaal’s extraordinary transformation and utterly convincing performance make an all too familiar and uninspired story watchable enough, ultimately though ‘Southpaw’ could have been so much more but Gyllenhaal’s reputation as a top actor of his generation remains untarnished.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

All this user's reviews

3ebfan511Jul 17, 2017

One of the cheesiest and predictable movies I have seen in a long time, it was so predictable I actually had to fast-forward through the last 20 or 30 minutes...and was completely correct in what would happen. I happen to watch boxingOne of the cheesiest and predictable movies I have seen in a long time, it was so predictable I actually had to fast-forward through the last 20 or 30 minutes...and was completely correct in what would happen. I happen to watch boxing occasionally so I found the movie just pretty boring. Watching a real fight would be more interesting. Even a boring fight, would be more interesting than a cheesy "fake" fight for a movie. The only reason it gets a 4 and not a 1 though were the redeeming qualities of Gylenhalls performance which was pretty good, and the first 30-45 minutes of the film were also pretty well done. After that...it was all down-hill into cheesy, predictable, bad boring movie garbage. Virtually EVERY boxing film I have seen of the last 5-10 years were all better than this mediocre film. Had potential but failed at delivering and ended up being less interesting than watching an actual fight. If you like predictable films, and "over-wrenching" acting and plots, with no subtleness, than you might enjoy this banal movie.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

bfoore90Oct 30, 2015

Props to Jake Gyllenhall for bring the goods for this film, While its premise shows promise, the writing and script were what initially brought this movie down.This movie follows every single every sport's movie cliche you can imagine, almostProps to Jake Gyllenhall for bring the goods for this film, While its premise shows promise, the writing and script were what initially brought this movie down.This movie follows every single every sport's movie cliche you can imagine, almost doing nothing to switch things up or make things different for the payoff in the end. Gyllenhall's performance does enough to carry this movie and make it watchable but in the end, this movie was not much more than a muddled and depressing "Million Dollar Baby" ripoff. I can see where it could entertain some but it does nothing but beat you over the head with depressing and terrible events trying to make you cry but it manages to seem unbelievable that someone could have just that bad of luck with no sense of relief at all, not even in the end. Now, I understand sports movies can be like that but come on, "Warrior," "Rocky" and "Million Dollar Baby" beat you over the head with the same nonesense and you just feel like towards the end that youve seen all of this before.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

JeffersonCorpuzJul 28, 2015

Great movie, Super emotional, cast is beyond on point. Boxing movies are always going to have the same cliches but thats just part of the game. a must see for any fight fan. It's a look at life behind the scenes that may make you question howGreat movie, Super emotional, cast is beyond on point. Boxing movies are always going to have the same cliches but thats just part of the game. a must see for any fight fan. It's a look at life behind the scenes that may make you question how much your fav fighters really gave up to put on a show.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

All this user's reviews

JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017

Entertaining yes, crucial no, this is a relatively regular work for Fuqua but it is better than his last film, The Equilizer, but this movie it also has its failures, mainly with the script, beyond that is a merely entertaining movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

BITESCREENJun 20, 2017

Antoine Fuquas spannender Milieuthriller Training Day wurde durch einen ungewohnt starken Denzel Washington zum oscarprämierten Hit. Knapp 15 Jahre später rekrutiert der Regisseur für seinen Boxfilm Southpaw erneut einen Charakterdarsteller –Antoine Fuquas spannender Milieuthriller Training Day wurde durch einen ungewohnt starken Denzel Washington zum oscarprämierten Hit. Knapp 15 Jahre später rekrutiert der Regisseur für seinen Boxfilm Southpaw erneut einen Charakterdarsteller – den imposant aufgepumpten Jake Gyllenhaal. Der schwitzt, stöhnt, heult und blutet sich als Profiprügler Billy Hope allerdings durch ein Sportlerdrama von der Stange: ein abgestürzter Held, sich stockend wiederaufrappelnd durch den weltweisen Trainerguru – genau das bot schon Rocky. Obendrein springt Southpaw unglaubwürdig schnell von Tragödie zu Tragödie, misst jedwede Tiefe und ist dabei auch noch zäh. Gut, dass zumindest die authentisch-rabiaten Kampfszenen ordentlich klatschen.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

cameronhalmansJan 9, 2019

Certainly not original, but it isn’t too bad. The script is somewhat mind boggling. Not sure what they were thinking writing this. It’s extremely disorganized and things go unresolved. However the performances are all pretty good, especiallyCertainly not original, but it isn’t too bad. The script is somewhat mind boggling. Not sure what they were thinking writing this. It’s extremely disorganized and things go unresolved. However the performances are all pretty good, especially Jake Gyllenhal, who continues to prove that he’s one of the best actors working right now. You could skip this movie and be fine however. 55/100… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews