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2024 has not just one but two films by Barry Jenkins in store for cinephiles. In addition to theLion Kingprequel,Mufasa, which will be released thisDecember, he has writtenThe Fire Inside, a true story boxing drama. Unfortunately, despite the film’s enormous potential in its premise and the talent of its cast,The Fire Insideends up being extremely underwhelming, doing little to deviate from the comfort of its formula.
The Fire InsideReview
The Fire Insidetells the true story of Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who overcame the odds to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games despite a humble background in a low-income community. Those hoping that Jenkins would take this familiar formula and spin it on its head will be sorely disappointed, as this sports drama is the very definition of formulaic.
One of the principal issues withThe Fire Insideis that it is structured in an incredibly anticlimactic way. The film’s conflict is set up as if it will climax with Shields’s bid at the Olympics. However, this event happens about two-thirds of the way through the film. The other 45 minutes are spent exploring the aftermath of her Olympic appearance and her continued socioeconomic struggles despite her newfound fame.
Although these social issues are compelling, and Jenkins seems like the filmmaker who would be able to pull this off, the script forThe Fire Insideis unable to balance these deeper aspects with its more conventional, crowd-pleasing underdog story beats. The film’s setting of Flint, Michigan, has long been a hotbed for socioeconomic strife (although this takes place before the water crisis, which was a symptom of the underlying problems that plagued the people of the small town.
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Ultimately,The Fire Insideends up feeling like two movies slapped together into one. While either of these films could have been great with a bit more development, the attempt to have its cake and eat it too is futile and causes it to feel frustrating more often than it is inspiring or provocative.
Still, even though the film doesn’t use her story to make a potentially important point, Shields makes for a compelling protagonist. Of course, it will always be easy for American viewers to root for the American athlete in an international competition like the Olympics. When you add in the rags-to-riches element, it only makes the story even more crowd-friendly.
The best part of the film is, unquestionably, its cast. Brian Tyree Henry is excellent in his role despite playing a very conventional coach/father figure. The sincerity of his delivery elevates dialogue that otherwise falls victim to the traditional heartstring-pulling sports beats. Ryan Destiny also shows a ton of star-making breakout potential in her debut as the central subject.
The Fire Insidealso marks the debut of cinematographer Rachel Morrison (a frequent Jenkins collaborator) in the director’s chair. In the slower scenes of the film, like when the characters are having conversations with one another, the visuals are strong, if not spectacularly flashy. Sadly, this impressive visual style does not extend to the boxing sequences, which are a fundamental part of a sports movie like this. These scenes are shot in a conventional, unexciting way that fails to create the stakes and investment that are so necessary for a film like this to succeed.
IsThe Fire Insideworth watching?
The Fire Insideisn’t a poorly made film — just a conventional, straightforward underdog story that had the potential to explore some powerful, interesting themes but fails to do so in sufficient depth. It’s charming, but considering the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, it’s still a massive disappointment.
The Fire Insidescreened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 5-14.
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Sean Boelman
Managing Editor for Film and TV
Articles Published :441
Sean is the Managing Editor for Film and Television, working to determine editorial strategy for the critics team. He has been on the FandomWire team since 2022.In addition to writing reviews himself, Sean helps match writers on the FandomWire team with assignments that best fit their interests and expertise.
