I like a great sports activities drama, and whereas there are absolutely some nice choices arising on the 2025 film calendar, one particularly from final 12 months caught my eye lately once I was perusing the choices of my Prime Video subscription. Unstoppable is the story of Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and overcame plenty of obstacles — bodily, monetary and in any other case — to win an NCAA Division I wrestling championship. This film left me so impressed by what Robles was capable of accomplish, not simply as an athlete however a person with the playing cards stacked towards him.
The factor is, I didn’t hear a lot about Unstoppable earlier than it hit streaming, and what I did know in regards to the film was in reference to how Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck would navigate the film’s premiere amid their divorce. JLo stars as Anthony Robles’ mother Judy, whereas Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Fairness produced the movie. I’m right here to say this film is extra vital than what occurred when Lopez and Damon bumped into one another at a movie competition. Robles’ story deserves to be informed, and whereas that’s the largest cause I like to recommend this film, it’s not the one one.
I Knew Anthony Robles Was Going To Be Spectacular, However I Was Completely Blown Away By What He Was Succesful Of
Going into Unstoppable, it was no secret that we had been about to see some unimaginable bodily accomplishments from Anthony Robles — performed within the film by Emmy Award winner Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us). Nevertheless, that was removed from the one factor standing in Anthony’s path. A big household, an abusive stepfather and the looming risk of eviction meant that the wrestler needed to combat to even get to varsity — and it didn’t assist that no viable packages had been keen to take an opportunity on him for an athletic scholarship.
The method of Anthony strolling onto the Arizona State wrestling crew was the most effective a part of the film for me. The drive that he had — performed by Jerome with out an oz of self-pity — was unbelievable, and a number of other occasions I discovered myself pondering, “No means they’ll make him run bleachers. No means they’ll make him do a relay race whereas carrying a weight. No means they’ll make him climb a mountain on crutches.”
Not solely did he do all these issues (see the photograph above), it was by no means a query whether or not he was going to. His coaches didn’t give him an out, and Anthony didn’t ask for one. His plain talent and relentless arduous work earned him the respect of his teammates — who, based on the film, fought for his place on the crew when price range cuts threatened the wrestling program — in addition to his coach Shawn Charles (Don Cheadle).
Unstoppable Options An Superb Solid, Together with Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle
Another excuse I used to be stunned I hadn’t heard extra about Unstoppable was due to its solid. Jharrel Jerome, identified for his roles in Moonlight, Mr. Mercedes and the aforementioned When They See Us, provides us a hero to root for. Regardless of having a two-legged actor taking part in Anthony (a inexperienced legging was used throughout filming, with Jerome’s proper leg being edited out in post-production, and Robles truly acted as Jerome’s stunt and physique double), I by no means as soon as questioned the actor’s portrayal of an athlete with one leg.
Then there’s Jennifer Lopez, who confirmed Judy Robles’ personal unstoppable spirit in championing her son. I’d hate to have been any of the individuals within the crowd making jokes in regards to the wrestler’s leg in entrance of her or any of the opponents who had the gall to argue Anthony had an unfair benefit as a result of it was simpler for him to make weight.
It wasn’t simply her unwavering love and help, although. We additionally noticed Judy escape her abusive marriage, discover a method to preserve the roof over her youngsters’s heads and finally pursue her personal schooling. It’s not arduous to see the place Anthony Robles acquired his can-do perspective from.
Different highlights are, in fact, Don Cheadle because the Arizona State wrestling coach, Bobby Cannavale as Judy’s husband and Michael Peña as Anthony’s highschool wrestling coach Bobby Williams. Cheadle is so inspirational and charismatic, I’d in all probability observe him into struggle. Talking of charisma, Cannavale oozed it out of each pore… till his face would go darkish on the flip of a swap, signaling hassle for — on the very least — Judy.
Unstoppable Supplies Every thing You Need In A Sports activities Drama
Unstoppable doesn’t break the mould in terms of biographical sports activities dramas, but it surely doesn’t actually need to. There’s a cause we love a nice inspirational film. We like to see the underdog come out on prime (although I hesitate to even name the athlete an underdog, as a result of he by no means as soon as made me query whether or not he was gifted sufficient or deserving sufficient to get all the things he labored so arduous for).
Jerome actually drives Anthony’s motivation house in a shifting speech to Bobby Williams, the place he lays out precisely why profitable the NCAA wrestling championship is so vital to him. He has no delusions of a post-college wrestling profession. He says he is aware of the very first thing individuals discover about him is the factor that’s lacking. Going into his senior season, he’s labored so arduous for his one likelihood to alter individuals’s perspective of him, and even when (or can guess) how his story ends, I assure you’ll be higher for having watched it play out.
Critics and viewers agree that Unstoppable is a film to not miss, with a Licensed Contemporary 77% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and 87% on the viewers’s Popcornmeter. It’s a reasonably by-the-book sports activities drama with an amazing solid, however the primary cause I believe that is considered one of Amazon Prime Video’s greatest motion pictures is as a result of this actual sports activities star deserves to be identified and to be identified for his character, drive and expertise.
Because the characters joke a few occasions within the film, you may even end up forgetting Anthony Robles solely has one leg, and I’ve to think about that’s precisely what he needs. Unstoppable is obtainable to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.