Overview
An aging wrestler fights for redemption both in and out of the ring, confronting his past and seeking a second chance at life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- sincere
- melancholic
- reflective evening
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed the film as a richly affecting and heart-wrenching drama, led by Mickey Rourke’s galvanizing performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Randy remains emotionally dependent on the wrestling persona that once made him famous even as his body and career deteriorate.
Randy works small VFW shows and a supermarket while confronting the loss of his former stardom.
Health problems, injuries, and dangerous wrestling performances visibly threaten Randy’s ability to continue working.
The film follows Randy through New Jersey wrestling halls, a supermarket job, and a strip club without glamorizing his circumstances.
Films like The Wrestler, and why
Million Dollar Baby
shared themes of aging, loneliness, faded ambition, and an emotionally raw character study centered on a damaged working-class protagonist
The Wrestler
shared focus on a physically declining performer, economic hardship, masculine pride, and bittersweet redemption
Birdman
shared themes of failed ambition, self-destructive identity, and intimate social realism surrounding an isolated protagonist
Raging Bull
shared working-class milieu, bruised masculinity, family estrangement, and quietly devastating dramatic tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Darren Aronofsky
- Release Date
- 2008-12-17
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (4150)
Cast
- Mickey Rourke
- Marisa Tomei
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Mark Margolis
- Todd Barry
- Wass Stevens
- Judah Friedlander
- Ernest Miller
- Dylan Keith Summers
- Tommy Farra
Where to watch in United States
- 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 The Wrestler about?
- An aging New Jersey wrestling star clings to the ring while attempting to rebuild the family and intimacy he sacrificed for fame.
- What is The Wrestler like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Wrestler as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Wrestler violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Wrestler as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Wrestler?
- Critics broadly acclaimed the film as a richly affecting and heart-wrenching drama, led by Mickey Rourke’s galvanizing performance.
- Which films are like The Wrestler?
- Films with a similar feel include Million Dollar Baby, The Wrestler, Birdman, and Raging Bull.
- How long is The Wrestler?
- The Wrestler runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Wrestler?
- In United States, The Wrestler is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
