Fighting With My Family (2019)

Based on a true story of a female wrestler raised in a wrestling family, Fighting With My Family is fun and quirky with a fantastic cast and a good vibe.

Movies have always been a family affair in my household. My husband and I couldn’t wait until our kids were old enough to watch some of our favorite films, and we would actively wait until they were a certain age for others so that they could fully appreciate them. Let’s be honest, Goonies hits differently when you are 13 than when you are 4. But my son is the one who originally introduced me to Florence Pugh. We had seen her in a movie, and he, already being familiar with her, said, “I would trust that woman with my life.” Years later, now, he’s not wrong.

Fighting With My Family is about the close-knit Knight family, with mom, Julia, and dad, Ricky, raising their children to be wrestlers alongside them. With a dream of being in the WWE, teenage Saraya and brother Zak get a chance to actually audition. Running into Dwayne Johnson at the try out, they get a bit of an education about what makes Dwayne “The Rock” and loved by the crowd. Auditioned by Hutch Morgan, who only takes the top tier wrestlers to the next phase of wrestling education, Saraya struggles as to whether she really wants this to be her future.

This film is a lot of fun. Right from the beginning, there is a vibe that reels you in and makes you feel like this will be candy for the senses. There is a lot of upbeat music, the cast of characters is eccentric and interesting, and it keeps up the momentum (for much of the film) from beat to beat.

You are told that this is a true story, and based on what you can look up online as well as the fantastic home movies aired during the credits, it really seems to be. Saraya, whose chosen stage name is Paige (because her mother’s wrestling name is Saraya, which she chose to legally name her daughter), is a bit unsure of herself, but finds her confidence within her family. Ricky talks about his jail time, and Julia discusses her time on the streets, but all of this seemed to change when they had their children. And with a passion for wrestling, this tight group found a home together wherever they were, including in the ring.

The cast is phenomenal, led by the incomparable Florence Pugh, along with Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson. Pugh is magnetic, as always, but the film wouldn’t be what it is without the bright flecks of light brought in by all of the other actors.

There is a bit of a lull halfway into the film, but Fighting With My Family being a true story, things happen the way they did. It also appears that this was inspired by the documentary, The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family, so I will definitely be checking that out.

With a nod at a double meaning and a shot of tiny adult Paige standing between two humongous wrestlers, Fighting With My Family has a lot of funny and endearing moments, even with the loss of steam in the middle. It’s definitely worth a watch and I think you’ll have a lot of fun with it.

Runtime: 108 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Available: Free on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms