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The Hammer

Play trailer Poster for The Hammer PG-13 2011 1h 48m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Deaf wrestler Matt Hamill (Russell Harvard) overcomes numerous obstacles on the way to becoming a three-time NCAA champion and MMA fighter.

Critics Reviews

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Mark Olsen Los Angeles Times 10/26/2011
2.5/5
"The Hammer" never quite brings the pain, in the parlance of pro wrestling, leaving the film feeling heartfelt but flat. Go to Full Review
Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times 10/26/2011
2.5/5
Cleaving to the sports-as-salvation playbook with more fastidiousness than creativity, "The Hammer" offers a sincere but wearyingly formulaic portrait of triumph over adversity. Go to Full Review
Doug Knoop Seattle Times 10/26/2011
3/4
Overall this is a gentle and fascinating alternative to your typical noisy big-screen blockbuster. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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02/22/2015 One of the most underrated sports movies ever. Loved it See more 01/10/2015 Wonderful true story of perseverance and how to overcome obstacles thrown in the way of life and how to stay strong in the face of adversity. See more 10/17/2013 I am currently taking a sign language class and was told by my teacher to watch one of three movies that are about the deaf community. This happened to be one of them. I was recommended this movie by most of my classmates. I was a little skeptical at first when I heard that this movie is "based on a true story" I tend to avoid those kinds of movies like the plague, but The Hammer was worth the watch. It made me laugh, smile and cry. And I was very impressed with the direction and storytelling in terms of showing you what it's like to be deaf, growing up with a guardian who doesn't make the effort to understand or even help. All in all a very great and inspiring movie. See more 05/17/2013 just saw this movie it is a good movie See more 04/28/2013 loved it. great inspiring story. plus good wrestling movie See more 04/25/2013 If you are entertained, like me, by sports movies where the underdog comes on strong, then you'll want to stream this one on Netflix. It's about a deaf boy, Matt Hamill, who discovers wrestling as his key to success in a hearing world. It didn't bother me that it got sappy and sentimental in the last ten minutes, because I was really invested in this guy's story. Russell Harvard does a admirable job in the starring role. For me decades have passed since I watched a memorable film (i.e., Children of a Lesser God) about the experience of deafness. This one educated me about issues parents face in raising a deaf child. It was a great evening's entertainment. See more Read all reviews
The Hammer

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Movie Info

Synopsis Deaf wrestler Matt Hamill (Russell Harvard) overcomes numerous obstacles on the way to becoming a three-time NCAA champion and MMA fighter.
Director
Oren Kaplan
Screenwriter
Joseph McKelheer, Eben Kostbar
Distributor
D&E Entertainment
Production Co
Film Harvest
Rating
PG-13 (Some Sexual Material)
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 27, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2016
Runtime
1h 48m