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Murderball

Play trailer Poster for Murderball R Released Jul 8, 2005 1h 25m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 140 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
This documentary introduces the U.S. quad rugby team -- a team composed entirely of young paraplegic men. Using special wheelchairs and very little protection, the players play full-contact competitive rugby, using rules only slightly altered to accommodate their limitations. The film follows the team as they discuss the sport, their lives, and how they ended up in their chairs to begin with, while they play their way to the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
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Murderball

Murderball

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Critics Consensus

An entertaining and gripping documentary that shows being confined to a wheelchair doesn't mean the fun has to end.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Corliss TIME Magazine Murderball is no Rocky-esque hymn to the human spirit. It's more like a prison movie... Aug 4, 2008 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader An honest, down-to-earth account of how life goes on for people with disabilities. Mar 26, 2007 Full Review Dave Calhoun Time Out What emerges is more interesting, thankfully, than a linear offering of sporting triumph in the face of adversity. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Murderball is a movie that's easier to admire than adore, and its makers wouldn't have it any other way. Rated: 3/4 Dec 28, 2020 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com A celebration of the human spirit and a testimony of the power of the human body to adapt and heal. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 17, 2020 Full Review Felicia Feaster Creative Loafing Murderball tends to buck the feel-good vibe and good guy-bad guy arc of that genre... Instead, the film depicts a more profound and lifelong battle waged between these men and the circumstance they find themselves in. Feb 3, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Drew F This is the 2nd best documentary about sports of all time, bested only by Hoop Dreams. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member I remember seeing this movie when it came out, such a great documentary. inspiring too Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member While there is some discomfort by unnerving chills from watching wheelchair-confined soldiers, in their own right, with mental sympathetic empathy over their disabled functions, this raw documentary reassures in entertaining form that they live their lives with strength in overcoming their limitations while making the best out of the situation through fitting, encouraging outlets. (B+) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Just didn't find it all that entertaining. Standard documentary, nothing too exceptional to it. Find it tough to watch the subject matter too. Guess we take a lot for granted most the time. That hit home watching this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Insightful but sometimes also sentimental. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A great expose on Murderball, aka Paraplegic Rugby. Does a masterful job of showing the people behind the characters, as well as the teams behind the rivalries. For anyone who thought Football players were the toughest dudes on Earth, give this flick a watch and see if you still come out with that POV. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Murderball

A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. A scene from the film MURDERBALL directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis This documentary introduces the U.S. quad rugby team -- a team composed entirely of young paraplegic men. Using special wheelchairs and very little protection, the players play full-contact competitive rugby, using rules only slightly altered to accommodate their limitations. The film follows the team as they discuss the sport, their lives, and how they ended up in their chairs to begin with, while they play their way to the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Director
Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro
Producer
Jeffrey V. Mandel, Dana Adam Shapiro
Screenwriter
Dana Adam Shapiro
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Production Co
A&E IndieFilms, Paramount Pictures, Participant, MTV Films, EAT Films
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Language)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 8, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 3, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.5M
Runtime
1h 25m
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