Tyson
A fiercely intimate boxing memoir follows Mike Tyson from Brooklyn hardship to heavyweight supremacy and public ruin, ending in uneasy self-examination.
Overview
A raw and introspective look at the life of a boxing legend, revealing the man behind the gloves.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- intense
- candid
- volatile
- sports documentary night
- boxing film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's vivid, unusually intimate portrait of Mike Tyson while recognizing the limits of its deliberately subjective perspective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mike Tyson narrates and interprets his own rise, crimes, relationships, defeats, and attempts at personal change.
The film moves from Tyson's championship dominance and six-year unbeaten period to failed marriage, conviction, inadequate training, and losing fights.
Tyson concludes by reflecting philosophically on being a father and trying to become a better person.
Archive footage of Tyson's fights and other incidents supports his retrospective account of Brooklyn, detention, championship success, and downfall.
Films like Tyson, and why
When We Were Kings
intimate sports biography documentary centered on a controversial champion's self-narration and personal reckoning
The Trials of Muhammad Ali
character-driven boxing documentary examining ambition, fame, exploitation, and the emotional costs of competition
I Am Ali
raw, personal sports documentary shaped by an athlete's voice, public downfall, and search for redemption
Movie Details
- Director
- James Toback
- Release Date
- 2008-05-16
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (133)
Cast
- Mike Tyson
- Cus D'Amato
- Don King
- Robin Givens
- Mills Lane
- Evander Holyfield
- Lennox Lewis
- Trevor Berbick
- James Douglas
- Frank Bruno
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tyson about?
- A fiercely intimate boxing memoir follows Mike Tyson from Brooklyn hardship to heavyweight supremacy and public ruin, ending in uneasy self-examination.
- What is Tyson like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tyson as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tyson violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Tyson as moderate.
- What did critics think of Tyson?
- Critics broadly praised the film's vivid, unusually intimate portrait of Mike Tyson while recognizing the limits of its deliberately subjective perspective.
- Which films are like Tyson?
- Films with a similar feel include When We Were Kings, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, and I Am Ali.
- How long is Tyson?
- Tyson runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tyson?
- In United States, Tyson streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
