The Cage Fighter

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The Cage Fighter

2018

1h 21m

Documentary

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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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Soren Andersen

Seattle Times

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.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 7, 2018

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

Though it may leave audiences with a fair number of questions unanswered, "The Cage Fighter" is engrossing and notably well-packaged within its limitations.

Feb 6, 2018

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Frank Scheck

The Hollywood Reporter

A real-life version of Hollywood boxing-movie tropes.

Feb 4, 2018

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Jordan M. Smith

Nonfics (Substack)

Beautifully lensed and warmly characterized, it's essentially a nonfiction take on The Wrestler.

Dec 5, 2018

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Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

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.

Nov 1, 2018

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Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

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.

Aug 3, 2018

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Audience Member

A rather drab docu-drama that is highly overrated on RT.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

Best film about MMA ever made. Amazingly shot.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Jeff Unay

Director

Joe Carman

Self

Andrea Meditch

Executive Producer

James Orara

Producer

Jeff Unay

Producer

Ben Winwood

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The Cage Fighter: Trailer 1

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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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