The Fire Inside (2024)

“The Fire Inside” stars Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi, and De’Adre Aziza.  Releasing on December 25, 2024, the film has a professional boxer training for the Summer Olympics.
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The film features the feature directorial debut of Rachel Morrison, a cinematographer known for working on films like “Mudbound”, “Fruitvale Station”, “Dope”, “Black Panther”, and “Seberg”.  While the holiday season is usually the time for families to watch something that provides escapism, it’s also the time for us to watch a film that delivers inspiration and feel-good vibes.  Most of the time, the inspiration comes from unexpected underdog stories that remind audiences about the power of belief and determination to make sports history.  One of those stories came from the 2012 London Olympic Games, the first year it hosted women’s boxing as an Olympic event.  The person who went far and beyond to achieve victory in that event was Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, becoming the youngest boxer to qualify for the games and the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.  Shields’ journey inside and outside the ring made her a household name in the world of professional boxing, and this week, that true story is revamped for the big screen courtesy of cinematographer-turned-director Rachel Morrison and acclaimed filmmaker Barry Jenkins.  It seemed like a good holiday gift for sports fans and inspirational movie followers alike, but does its quality have enough fire inside to stand alongside other sports dramas?  Let’s find out.

The movie follows the true story of Claressa Shields (Destiny), a 17-year-old native from Flint, Michigan, who dreams of becoming a professional boxer.  She has a chance to make that dream a reality when she discovers that women’s boxing is being hosted at the Summer Olympics in London.  With the help of her coach and trainer, Jason Crutchfield (Henry), Claressa fights tooth and nail to earn her spot at the Olympics while facing challenges closer to home.  Her journey to accomplish her dream would lead to Claressa making history not just for her hometown but also for her entire country.

“The Fire Inside” is another movie that immediately captured my interest with its big names alone.  In addition to my intrigue in sports movies, this is the second film this month that features the involvement of Barry Jenkins, who I’ve been following since “Moonlight” due to his approach to African-American cinema.  However, he’s not directing the film since he was busy hanging around with talking photorealistic animals.  Instead, the directorial reigns go to Rachel Morrison, who became the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for her work on “Mudbound”.  Regardless, seeing Jenkins involved in some shape or form was guaranteed to be a must-see for me.  Additionally, I was unfamiliar with Claressa Shields due to my inability to keep up with the Olympic Games, especially the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, reading about her achievements was enough to see her journey on the big screen.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait too long to watch it, as I was greeted with another surprise pick at this week’s mystery movie event.  I initially thought it would be “Homestead” since mystery movies usually play a film a few days before release.  Instead, I was treated with a very early access showing of “The Fire Inside” almost a week before its Christmas Day release.  So, I guess you can say I got one of my Christmas gifts from good old Santa Claus early this year.  The question now is whether this cinematic sports gift is worth getting, considering the great word-of-mouth it’s been getting since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.  Well, I’m happy to say that this latest boxing story is worth the hype.  Does it reinvent the sports biopic formula we’ve seen multiple times?  No.  However, regarding its execution, “The Fire Inside” is another fiery and uplifting addition to the sports biopic catalog packed with admirable talent and dynamic passion.

The film follows the usual trappings that we’ve seen in other sports biopics, in which the protagonist overcomes the obstacles, whether political or real life, to make history for themselves and others.  In this case, Claressa’s dream of boxing puts her on the path of seeing her status challenged by people’s viewpoints on women boxing with men.  Back then, they usually saw men tackle rough sports while women were stuck with those involving their “sexualized” appeal.  That is until women’s boxing was included for the first time in the 2012 Olympic Games, making this event the first to have female competitors in every sport.  Claressa also struggles to receive the same payment as men in sports, which has led her to fight for gender equality in sports regarding pay.  So, it’s completely understandable why Shields’ story must be shared in cinematic form. She fought as hard to support equality as she did inside the ring, and I respect her for that.

Regarding the screenplay, “The Fire Inside” is another sports biopic that throws routine punches in its narrative beats.  While some of its sentimental moments didn’t hit as hard as others, the script still carried the amount of commitment and love toward the African-American community and the hardships that came with it.  Regarding films involving this part of society, Barry Jenkins easily understands the authenticity and passion of making Black people feel seen and heard on the big screen.  I can see Jenkins’ fingerprints plastered all over the final cut, whether directing, writing, or both.  Of course, the screenplay is also respectable in delivering characters that pack a punch in their humane personalities and genuine inspiration.  The script may not have been groundbreaking in its narrative, mainly due to how it skimmed over certain moments with its pacing and sports cliches in the first half.  But it was also one of the many examples of the formula taking a few punches and hitting back harder with its themes of resilience and gender equality, especially in the second half.

The first time Rachel Morrison grabbed my attention was through her first Oscar nomination for her cinematography work on “Mudbound”, which I have not seen yet.  She had previously worked on several films before “Mudbound”, such as Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station” and “Dope”, but her work on “Mudbound” was something that I found most impressive regarding this achievement.  She even directed one of the season three episodes of “The Mandalorian,” as I now realize.  This makes “The Fire Inside” Morrison’s first feature film as a director, and I must say that her direction was just as remarkable as her cinematography.  In addition to her approach to the film’s energetic boxing scenes, Rachel Morrison ensured that the dramatic confrontations between the characters were as dynamic and authentic as Claressa’s fights.  It’s not melodramatic to the point of being cringe but not too straightforward to the point of being dull.  It had a proper momentum that sways between light-heartedness and maturity, a rhythm that dodges almost all of its flaws left and right to snatch a well-earned victory in its tone.  Morrison was a good cinematographer, but her riveting direction in “The Fire Inside” has proven that she’s got the fire in her vision to make it big as a filmmaker.

The cast was also fantastic in their roles, mainly the leads Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry.  Television fans may have known Destiny for her roles in the musical drama series “Star” and the Black-ish spin-off show “Grown-ish”.  Personally, this film was my first exposure to Destiny as an actress since I haven’t watched those shows and boy, did I make the right call.  It allowed me to review her performance in a film without her television appearances interfering with my judgment, and I must admit that I was impressed with how she did.  Ryan Destiny applied a sublime balance of grit, fire, and heart into the resilient Claressa, who strives to fight for what’s right.  While her performance was sadly not enough to make it to the crucial awards shows, I do hope Destiny gathers enough attention to grab more roles like this.  Brian Tyree Henry also delivered another attention-grabbing performance, this time as Jason Crutchfield, a former boxer-turned-coach who helps Claressa achieve the impossible.  What else can I really say about Henry that I haven’t said before?  He’s just that great of an actor who can do comedy, drama, and animation without missing a single step in his talents.  Oluniké Adeliyi and De’Adre Aziza were also superb in their roles of Jackie, Claressa’s mother, and Mickey, Jason’s wife, respectively.

Overall, “The Fire Inside” blazes the sports biopic competition with an inspiring and entertaining tale of resilience and gender equality in sports.  It’s far from a groundbreaking achievement regarding the narrative cliches hidden in Barry Jenkins’s suitably written screenplay, especially in the film’s first half.  Fortunately, it proved to be just as effective as its second half, which offered more of Claressa’s story than just her journey to the 2012 Summer Olympics.  This was primarily due to the passionate talents involved that elevated its typical sports drama storyline.  Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry provided a fantastic chemistry that’s sure to melt people’s hearts regarding their performances.  As for Rachel Morrison, her directorial debut delivered a suitable amount of genuineness and maturity that’s as lively as the boxing sequences and its themes.  It’s far from the best film in the sports biopic Hall of Fame, but it is still a knockout for genre fans and general audiences to check out this Christmas season.

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