To celebrate the release of Creed, the seventh instalment in the great Rocky franchise, let’s reflect on the best boxing movies ever!
5. Million Dollar Baby
Director Clint Eastwood teamed up with Hilary Swank in 2004 and wowed audiences with ‘Million Dollar Baby’, the heart-wrenching story of Maggie, a waitress who follows her dream of becoming a professional boxer.
4. Snatch
Not strictly a ‘boxing film’ per se, but Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy ‘Snatch’ centres around fight promoter Turkish, played by Jason Statham and sneaks onto the list. The movie features a memorable performance by Brad Pitt as gypsy brawler Mickey.
3. Rocky
When you think boxing films, you think Rocky, and the 1977 original is surely the quintessential movie of the sub-genre. In the brilliant first outing for the Italian Stallion, he meets the love of his life Adrian and goes head-to-head with Apollo Creed.
2. The Fighter
Christian Bale is no stranger to yo-yoing in weight for the good of cinema, and after bulking up for Batman, he lost a shedload to play Dicky Ecklund alongside Mark Wahlberg in ‘The Fighter’, and went on to win an Academy Award for his performance.
1. Raging Bull
Not only the best boxing film of all time, but arguably one of the greatest films ever full stop. Martin Scorsese’s black-and-white masterpiece ‘Raging Bull’ stars Robert De Niro as troubled boxer Jake LaMotta who not only battles with his opponents throughout but his friends, family and inner demons.
Cinema Perspective 