Fighting With My Family is a 2019 biopic about the life of the WWE wrestler Paige.
The biopic genre seems to be a popular form of cinema that filmmakers like to take on. These days, Hollywood has been really interested in making movies based on the lives of many known people out there. And the next film to prove this fact is Stephen Merchant’s latest comedy-drama titled Fighting With My Family. Based on the documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family, it’s an interesting biopic of the wrestler named Paige, and it’s an enjoyable watch with the right amount of humor and heart. It showcases some fascinating aspects of her life such as her family being super passionate about wrestling and her legacy of becoming the youngest winner in the Divas Championship.
Fighting With My Family has such a talented cast, and everyone in the movie does a great job! Florence Pugh’s performance as Paige is incredibly engaging, and you love seeing her pursue her passion of wrestling. It’s an interesting journey seeing her evolution from a relatable teenager to a strong and courageous champion. You’re rooting for her to achieve her dream, which is definitely the best part of the entire film. When the main protagonist is immediately likeable from the get-go, you get easily invested in that person’s backstory, and that’s what this movie does really well. Her parents are played brilliantly by Nick Frost and Lena Headey, and they steal the show. Whenever they’re on screen, they’re a lot of fun to watch! Her relationship with her brother Zak (Jack Lowden) is also intriguing, but sadly it’s not fully developed. If he has some more screen time, his arc would have been a lot more compelling.
Being both the director and the writer, Merchant does a good job showing some hysterical and heartfelt moments throughout. His script is filled with witty dialogue for the actors to have fun with, and he knows how to maintain a good balance of comedy and drama. While watching the movie, it can be a little formulaic, but you’re able to let that go since it’s a pretty straightforward premise. Even if it’s a WWE Studios film, it’s commendable that it’s not afraid to show that the world of WWE is indeed scripted. However, it doesn’t change the fact that newly recruited wrestlers still have to work hard in order to be part of this entertainment industry. It’s not easy to be a part of the WWE, and it is cool seeing the whole recruitment process.
In the end, Fighting With My Family is an enjoyable feel-good flick with lots of fun humor and heartfelt drama. With a great and relatable performance by Pugh, she portrays the life of a passionate and hard-working teenager so well, and she definitely has a bright future as an actress. While it is a little formulaic in its narrative structure, it’s still an inspiring story that will hopefully connect with people and teach them that it’s important to follow your dream. It’s an entertaining dramedy that will most certainly hit you right in the feels!