Battle of the Sexes

PG-13

Released Sep 29, 2017

2 hr. 1 min.

Comedy

Drama

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List

84%

317 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.

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Critics Consensus

Battle of the Sexes turns real-life events into a crowd-pleasing, well-acted dramedy that ably entertains while smartly serving up a volley of present-day parallels.

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Jeff M

Stone excels in highly enjoyable film. King's story more interesting than titular battle though it is well filmed.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Alec B

Dayton and Faris seem to love the early 70s aesthetics more than anything else in this story, which at times comes at the cost of the characters. That said the best thing here is how inevitable King's victory always feels, which makes Riggs' antics all the more pathetic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

Gareth v

Entertaining enough. Stone & Carrell are good in the lead roles but could of done with a stronger script to work with.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

Diogo G

This movie may not please to everybody's taste, allthough for the ones that enjoy real life stories retold in the form of movies, this becomes an absolute must see as it compiles light humour, a lot of emotion and adrenaline. Overall an awsome movie!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

isla s

This is an interesting story - a true life one at that and it features some good performances from both Steve Carell and Emma Stone. The actual match its about only features in a minority of scenes, so if the thought of watching a lot of tennis puts you off the film, I'd say that's not a valid reason to not see it because the majority of the plot focuses on the two players opposing views regarding equality etc. and lifestyles. I thought this was quite an insightful watch and I would recommend it, yes.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The casting for the Battle of the Sexes could hardly have been better. Emma Stone is the picture of dignified radiance as Bille Jean King, and Steve Carrell is the perfect vehicle for Bobby Riggs' clownish boorishness. Some well choreographed tennis action is interspersed with the engaging character moments that Stone and Carrell create, and this adds up to one of the better sports dramas to come along in a while.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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Valerie Faris

Director

Jonathan Dayton

Director

Emma Stone

Billie Jean King

Steve Carell

Bobby Riggs

Andrea Riseborough

Marilyn Barnett

Natalie Morales

Rosie Casals

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Battle of the Sexes: Trailer 1

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Heather Hogan

Autostraddle

It's a sports movie, complete with breathless action sequences, overwrought crowd reactions, and a soaring score. It's a biopic about a legend. And it's one of the best lesbian films I've ever seen.

Jul 2, 2018

Full Review

Tara Brady

Irish Times

At 121 minutes, Battle of the Sexes occasionally drags, but it's the Hairy Legged Feminist-Male Chauvinist Pig showdown that we needed right now.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 1, 2017

Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

The film is not unsuccessful, as it's mostly entertaining enough, and if the gender politics seem oversimplified, there are reminders of some real-life commentaries.

Nov 29, 2017

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Injecting earnest drama and profundity into the tried-and-true sports movie formula, directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton have crafted a gratifying yarn packed with contagious enthusiasm.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 16, 2024

Full Review

Brian T. Carney

Washington Blade

Andrea Riseborough is great as Billie Jean’s first girlfriend and Austin Stowall and Elisabeth Shue turn in fine performances as their conflicted spouses.

Dec 14, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Fortunately, the film never becomes a hype machine or gets caught up in the bizarre media circus around the central match. The concentration remains on the players and the emotional stakes, as well as what King's victory represents.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 17, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.

Director: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Screenwriter: Simon Beaufoy
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Decibel Films, Cloud Eight
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sexual Content|Partial Nudity)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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