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The Cage Fighter

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for The Cage Fighter 2018 1h 21m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 46% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Although a man promises his wife and daughters that he will not return to competitive mixed martial arts fighting, he secretly begins training for the dangerous sport that gives him a sense of purpose.
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The Cage Fighter

Critics Reviews

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Soren Andersen Seattle Times 02/07/2018
3/4
Thanks to the extraordinary access Joe and his family granted to Unay, the pain comes through seemingly unfiltered. The anguish is so raw and the sorrow so intense that the viewer feels like a voyeur. Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey Variety 02/06/2018
Though it may leave audiences with a fair number of questions unanswered, "The Cage Fighter" is engrossing and notably well-packaged within its limitations. Go to Full Review
Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 02/04/2018
A real-life version of Hollywood boxing-movie tropes. Go to Full Review
Jordan M. Smith Nonfics (Substack) 12/05/2018
Beautifully lensed and warmly characterized, it's essentially a nonfiction take on The Wrestler. Go to Full Review
Stephen Saito Moveable Fest 11/01/2018
On the right foot not only in terms of its quality, but in being so efficient stylistically and narratively, it risks seeming a little too good to be true. Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue 08/03/2018
Although the lines feel blurred between what's real and what's staged, this intriguing documentary doubles as a compelling blue-collar character study about a middle-aged man at a crossroads. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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09/18/2018 A rather drab docu-drama that is highly overrated on RT. See more 02/19/2018 Best film about MMA ever made. Amazingly shot. See more 02/16/2018 The fight scenes are raw and filled with tension. A very personal look into the life of this family and all their pain. Such an upclose and genuine look at the struggles human beings create for themselves that you'll likely be left wondering will we ever stop, or at very least, will Joe. See more Read all reviews
The Cage Fighter

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Movie Info

Synopsis Although a man promises his wife and daughters that he will not return to competitive mixed martial arts fighting, he secretly begins training for the dangerous sport that gives him a sense of purpose.
Director
Jeff Unay
Producer
James Orara, Jeff Unay
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
The Filmmaker Fund, Lineage Film, Cinereach
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 2, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 4, 2018
Runtime
1h 21m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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