Small, Slow But Steady

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Small, Slow But Steady

2022

1h 39m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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16 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A hearing-impaired boxer follows her dream of becoming a professional boxer but is pushed to her limit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential closure of her boxing gym and the ailing health of its president.

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Subdued, low-key and unassuming, this Japanese film about a young deaf woman who becomes a professional boxer firmly eschews the traditional sports movie tropes.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 3, 2023

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Josh Slater-Williams

Little White Lies

You can fully understand her developing melancholy even while she never articulates it to loved ones. The approach also means her rare beaming smiles deliver knockout hits to the heart.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 28, 2023

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Thanks to Kishii’s luminous performance, Keiko comes across as a very self-sufficient but lonely figure, completely deaf since birth, who finds in fighting some kind of release and sensory thrill.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 27, 2023

Full Review

Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

By framing Keiko’s subjective trajectory in a solemn and restrained visual composition, Miyake ensures that emotional flow of the narrative, as brought to life by Kishii, touch the spectator deeply and profoundly.

Jan 27, 2025

Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Drawing inspiration from boxing classics such as Rocky, slight gem Small, Slow But Steady strikes with a subtle but forceful resonance.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 3, 2024

Full Review

Fedor Tot

WeLoveCinema

Boxing biopic is an uppercut above the rest

Rated: 4/5

Sep 20, 2023

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Ashley H

It was like watching a music video but without music. Love the image quality.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/30/23

Full Review

Erik v

It's not that I don't like dramatized movies. However the pureness of Small, slow but steady makes real life touching, even comforting. Made with very simple means, so it seems, which adds to the gentle but deep impact.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/15/23

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Shô Miyake

Director

Yukino Kishii

Actor

Tomokazu Miura

Actor

Masaki Miura

Actor

Shinichirô Matsuura

Shintaro Matsumoto

Himi Sato

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Synopsis

A hearing-impaired boxer follows her dream of becoming a professional boxer but is pushed to her limit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential closure of her boxing gym and the ailing health of its president.

Director: Shô Miyake
Producer: Koichiro Fukushima, Masahiro Handa, Keisuke Konishi, Shunsuke Koga
Screenwriter: Shô Miyake, Masaaki Sakai
Production Co: Thefool, Doco Digital
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Japanese
Runtime: 1h 39m