Growing up as a kid in the late 80s and the early 90s, the WWF (now known as the WWE) seemed like one of the biggest things ever. Regardless if you watched wrestling or not, everyone knew who Hulk Hogan and André the Giant were. They were larger than life figures who helped inspire many people my age to get into wrestling. Then as I grew into my teenage years, the attitude era hit and then wrestling was ‘cool’ and figures like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock were anti-establishment figures we could live vicariously through. One such young person who was inspired by the likes of The Rock was Saraya-Jade Bevis, the young English girl who would later rebrand herself as Paige.
“Fighting with My Family” tells the story the Knight family and their obsession with wrestling through the eyes of Saraya. Saraya and her brother Zak are extremely close and hope they can join the WWE together. After awhile, they are both given a chance much to their parents (who are also wrestlers in the UK) delight. Zak and Saraya both give impressive performances but NXT recruiter Hutch Morgan only sees potential in Saraya. Saraya sets off to train at the NXT performance center but feels like an outsider while her brother Zak starts spiraling out of control due to being passed over. Both Saraya and Zak have to overcome their personal battles and demons with the help of each other and their parents.
I am personally a fan of the WWE and of WWE Superstar Paige so I was definitely interested in this movie when it was announced. Thankfully, the movie was an enjoyable look at the life of Paige even non-wrestling fans can enjoy. The movie does a good job helping the audience to connect with the insecurities Saraya was going through and showcased the importance of family, regardless if the family is perfect or normal.
Now, WWE Studios normally don’t produce the highest quality of films. Typically, the studio is used to produce direct to video films which showcase some of their talents in acting roles they otherwise probably would not get. This was a bit different for the studio and is easily their best film to date (and also one of the few to be released in theaters). Of course, I imagine WWE Studios was largely involved due to them owning Paige’s contract, access to their footage, use of their equipment, and because Dwayne Johnson still has a good working relationship with them.
The cast of the movie was very strong. Florence Pugh was convincing as Paige and brought a lot of heart and vulnerability to the role. Jack Lowden was fantastic as Zak Knight and he had a lot of screen presence. For two actors I am not familiar with, Pugh and Lowden felt like naturals and owned every scene they were in. Nick Frost and Lena Headey were fantastic as their parents. I loved their chemistry and comedic timing together. Vince Vaughn gave one of his best performances in a long while as Hutch Morgan. Lastly, Dwayne Johnson wasn’t in the film as much as was implied but he was great in the few scenes he was in. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also served as a producer of the film and was driving force behind the project.
Director Stephen Merchant seemed like an odd choice for the project being known primarily for his contributions to comedies like “The Office” but the film needed that level of levity. Merchant also added a lot of heart to the project.
“Fighting with My Family” manages to transcend wrestling and makes the film a crowd pleaser for everyone. I almost feel like being a wrestling fan might make the film less enjoyable with it’s blending of kayfabe and reality. Still, as a wrestling fan myself, I thought it was a fun watch!
Grade: B+
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