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The Wrestler
2008 109 min United States of America, France R 16+
★8.4
Drama, Romance
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Trailers
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Description
Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback.
Budget:
$6M
US Gross:
$26.24M
Worldwide:
$44.73M
Starring
Mickey Rourke
Actor
Marisa Tomei
Actor
Evan Rachel Wood
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 2008
— Golden Lion
Golden Globe 2009
— Best Original Song
BAFTA 2009
— Best Actor
BAFTA 2009
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 2009
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 2009
— Best Actor
Golden Globe 2009
— Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2009
— Best Actor
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2009
— Best Original Song
Golden Globe 2009
— Best Actor (Drama)
Key opinion
The Wrestler is widely celebrated as a raw, emotionally heavy character study anchored by Mickey Rourke's career-defining performance. While its gritty, uncompromising realism earns high praise for its depth and authenticity, some viewers find the slow-paced, bleak narrative to be either pretentious or emotionally exhausting.
| Acting | Mickey Rourke’s raw and vulnerable portrayal perfectly mirrors his own career struggles, grounding the film with immense authenticity. | |
| Direction | Darren Aronofsky employs a handheld, minimalist aesthetic that successfully pulls the audience into the gritty, earth-bound reality of the protagonist's life. | |
| Screenplay | The script offers a blunt, unvarnished look at the physical and emotional toll of professional wrestling, avoiding standard sports-movie clichés. | |
| Pacing | The film's heavy, slow-burn pacing and oppressive atmosphere divide audiences, with some finding it a deeply moving contemplation on existence while others perceive it as unnecessarily bleak and tedious. | |
| Acting | Opinions on the supporting cast are divided; while Marisa Tomei is widely praised, Evan Rachel Wood’s performance is contested as either emotionally complex or poorly matched to the film’s tone. |