Film Review – They Fight (2026)

      They Fight, 2026.

      Written and Directed by Sheldon Candis.

      Featuring André Holland, Samira Wiley, Wendell Pierce, Toussaint Francois Battiste, Anthony B. Jenkins, Mykelti Williamson, Tory J. Malone, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Tinashe Kajese, Amanda Warren, and Andre Royo.

      SYNOPSIS:

      The film chronicles a group of young boxers and their former incarcerated coach in Southeast Washington DC as they strive to defend their national titles.

      Released on early parole after approximately three years of a five-year sentence, Walt Manigan (André Holland, delivering a compelling performance that outshines the surrounding elements) is prompted to reflect on whether he feels remorse. This thought-provoking and loaded query serves as the foundation for writer/director Sheldon Candis’ They Fight, inspired by Andrew Renzi's documentary of the same name and a Washington Post article by Michael Minihan. However, it quickly transforms into a lackluster assembly of redemption stories and sports clichés.

      Despite several aspects of the narrative lacking sufficient depth and coherence to create an emotionally rewarding experience, it is clear that Walt’s journey and life after prison deserve attention. After witnessing this awkward condensation of those experiences in a surprisingly brief 90 minutes, one can infer that the documentary and Washington Post article likely offer a more comprehensive exploration of the topic.

      A significant issue is that while the film aims to focus on Walt, it simultaneously tries to portray an uplifting sports drama centered on the underprivileged boys he mentors, who train at a community center facing impending closure due to unpaid bills. This scenario leads to characters like Peanut (Anthony B. Jenkins), Quincey (Toussaint Francois Battiste), and Twin (Tory J. Malone) competing for screen time and compelling reasons to engage with their individual stories.

      At the same time, Walt struggles to embrace the responsibilities that the community center’s coach (Wendell Pierce, who convincingly expresses a desire for the children to succeed) places on him. He reasons that if he failed as a father to his son, he shouldn’t be instructing these kids about boxing or guiding them through personal challenges, such as coping with their crushes or dealing with sadness. He is also looking to rekindle a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Ketta (Samira Wiley), who shows reluctance to consider a second chance until prompted by another character to “let it go.” This superficiality encapsulates the film’s characterization. Additionally, Walt is seeking employment and resisting the pull of painkiller addiction.

      This is not to imply that there isn’t significant potential in a character-focused adaptation of Walt’s life. However, the film displays amateurish filmmaking, with standard genre montages appearing almost every ten minutes. Moreover, the editing feels rushed, moving quickly through its narrative and abruptly shifting from a personal, mature drama to a feel-good, family-friendly underdog boxing story about children overcoming adversity and discovering their inner potential, regardless of their circumstances.

      Nonetheless, André Holland manages to remain engaging despite the cliched material (the way the true story unfolds is not his fault), particularly in moments where he admits his mistakes to the children, embraces this new journey, and guides them through turmoil and loss. There’s also ample material here for a completely different film focusing on resisting the temptation of addiction, a topic that receives only brief attention in one or two scenes.

      When the children take the lead in the narrative, it's disappointing that the boxing sequences lack excitement and culminate in a final tournament match (presumably true to real-life events) that does not get the depth it warrants, as the characters themselves feel like incomplete sketches. They Fight presents several struggles, with the foremost being Sheldon Candis’ difficulty in conveying this narrative effectively.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder