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Bruised

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2:11

Bruised

R

Released Nov 17, 2021

2h 12m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

50%

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92 Reviews

55%

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250+ Ratings

Jackie Justice (Halle Berry) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after her fight, she's coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a life back in the octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) -- the son she gave up as an infant -- shows up at her doorstep. BRUISED marks the directorial debut of Academy Award winner Halle Berry and also stars Adriane Lenox, Sheila Atim, Valentina Shevchenko, and Stephen McKinley Henderson in a triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out.

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Critics Consensus

Bruised isn't as hard-hitting as its title might suggest, but Halle Berry impresses on either side of the camera in her directorial debut.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

Halle Berry shows real filmmaking talent, but there's too much going on throughout the movie, when the story demands a more consistently minimalist treatment.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 31, 2021

Full Review

Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Kick butt, break rules, and direct your first feature after 50? Maybe Berry could be the next Bond.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 4, 2021

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Catey Sullivan

Chicago Reader

The end is fairly predictable. The way it gets there is decidedly not.

Dec 4, 2021

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Saibal Chatterjee

NDTV

Berry has built a thriving career around fractured women fighting to stay on their feet through thick and thin. Both as actor and director, she brings great heft to this story of a woman who chins up in the face of obstacles and keeps going.

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Common Sense Media

It has the familiar beats of many sports movies, but Berry's directorial debut looks below the surface to find an organic sense of life that's beaten and pummeled but also persistent and hopeful.

Rated: 4/5

May 20, 2023

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M.N. Miller

Film Focus Online

Berry's performance will win over fans of the genre where the down on your luck fighter picks themselves off the mat, they will give Bruised's script a pass. However, the film is too insincere in its intimate moments and far too predictable.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 4, 2023

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Marcus B

The movie is awesome, she directed that movie great! An showing how a person could fall an rise up an continue to follow her dream through life!! She should become a director! 😊

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/21

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Greg A

Forget what any critic says, watch this movie, its fantastic on so many levels, and I’m not a UFC octagon fighting fan what so ever!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/24

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New W

I’m always rooting for a Halle Berry movie. Bruised as a drama sport film is probably more drama than sport however as a drama film, it also delivers I was expecting more action with fight scenes, but the whole movie was a buildup to the one scene at the end, which delivered in my opinion, Halle Berry does deliver well in that motherhood type role I think the movie would’ve benefitted from more fight scenes and more action in the octagon but I could see movie lovers liking this film. MMA fans may not like it as much as they might be expecting more action with the film delivers.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/24/24

Full Review

life with l

It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. I think that if it had been someone a bit younger in the lead role it would have scored higher from me. I couldn't suspend my disbelief for long enough to believe that someone Halle's age was playing that part. Sheila Atim did well and so did Danny Boyd Jr. as her son.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/09/24

Full Review

Seventh S

Loved it! Found myself rooting for Jackie in her personal life as well as professional. She had to fight (literally) for both. A come back/redemption movie worth watching!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/26/24

Full Review

Ashlleigh L

Great movie. Cried the entire time. I wanted more of a ending tho. It got me all excited and then boom it ended. 4/10. I cried almost all the way through great job overall.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

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Halle Berry

Director

Halle Berry

Jackie Justice

Stephen Henderson

Pops

Adan Canto

Desi

Shamier Anderson

the encouraging MMA league owner

Marcella Lentz-Pope

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Bruised: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Jackie Justice (Halle Berry) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after her fight, she's coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a life back in the octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) -- the son she gave up as an infant -- shows up at her doorstep. BRUISED marks the directorial debut of Academy Award winner Halle Berry and also stars Adriane Lenox, Sheila Atim, Valentina Shevchenko, and Stephen McKinley Henderson in a triumphant story of a fighter who reclaims her power, in and out of the ring, when everyone has counted her out.

Director: Halle Berry
Producer: Guymon Casady, Terry Dougas, Brad Feinstein, Linda Gottlieb, Gillian Hormel, Basil Iwanyk, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Erica Lee
Screenwriter: Michelle Rosenfarb
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Romulus Entertainment, Aloe Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, Metrol Technology, Bohemia Media, Head Gear Films, Rhea Films (II)
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content/Nudity|Pervasive Language|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 24, 2021
Runtime: 2h 12m

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