---
title: "Creed"
year: 2015
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/creed"
fi1m_id: "creed"
imdb_id: "tt3076658"
tmdb_id: 312221
wikidata_id: "Q18822138"
fi1m_score: 85
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-10-06T10:36:49.647010+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Creed (2015)

Directed by Ryan Coogler · 2h 13m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, Sport

## Identity

Creed

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/creed
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** creed
- **IMDb ID:** tt3076658
- **TMDB ID:** 312221
- **Wikidata ID:** Q18822138
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3076658/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/312221, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18822138

**Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 76 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* A boxing film whose dinner date deserves as much attention as its punches

> Ryan Coogler makes a familiar boxing story feel worth telling again, helped by Michael B. Jordan and a generous Sylvester Stallone. The plotting is predictable and the pace occasionally slackens, but the affection is earned.

## Synopsis

After a troubled youth, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) sets out to become a professional boxer without relying on his father’s name. He is Apollo Creed’s son, and he seeks out Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), his father’s old friend, to coach him. Training offers a way forward, but his wish to establish himself keeps bringing him back to the reputation he wants to escape. Away from the ring, he gets to know Bianca (Tessa Thompson). Their dinner date gives him time outside boxing as he begins to build a life around his ambitions.

## Review

Ryan Coogler makes *Creed* a warm, forceful boxing drama, with enough care for its people to make the familiar route worth taking. Adonis Johnson wants to establish himself as a fighter, and the son of Apollo Creed has chosen a difficult business in which to escape a surname. The film gives Rocky Balboa a supporting role and trusts its younger lead to carry the story. Its chief limitation is easy to spot: several dramatic turns arrive exactly when a boxing film has taught us to expect them.

Michael B. Jordan makes Adonis’s pride interesting rather than merely announcing that he has something to prove. His approach to his father’s old friend has an awkward mixture of confidence and need: asking for help is already a concession. The performance lets us see how much proving himself matters without requiring us to approve of every decision. That gives the training and bouts a purpose beyond finding out how much punishment the hero can take.

Sylvester Stallone is equally persuasive as Rocky Balboa, accepting the smaller role without seeming to wait for the film to become his again. He plays the mentor’s age and vulnerability plainly, and the exchanges with Adonis benefit from that restraint. The relationship develops through their work together, giving the encouragement a weight that an isolated speech could not supply. We believe that both men have a reason to keep turning up, and the friendship becomes convincing through those ordinary encounters.

Maryse Alberti’s cinematography is especially effective in the single-take fight, which lets the physical work continue without an editor rescuing anyone. The moving camera keeps the bout legible, and the time between punches becomes as important as the blows themselves. We tensed up watching it, because the unbroken shot leaves us waiting for the next hit without the small relief of a cut. Ryan Coogler gets excitement from the fighters’ movement without making the action difficult to follow.

Editors Claudia Castello and Michael P. Shawver have the more awkward job of making familiar training passages and quieter scenes feel like parts of the same life. The rhythm occasionally slackens, and at 133 minutes the film has stretches that repeat how much becoming a fighter means to Adonis. Ludwig Göransson’s music supplies the expected lift without making every scene demand applause. The use of the familiar [*Rocky*](https://film.one/film/rocky) theme is well judged, supporting feelings that the performances have already established.

The quieter material helps, particularly the dinner date between Adonis and Bianca. Tessa Thompson gives Bianca enough ease and independence to make the encounter feel like two people discovering some pleasure in each other’s company. Production designer Hannah Beachler makes the dinner setting feel like somewhere people might spend an evening, without distracting from their conversation. The screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington is strongest when it allows that sort of unforced company. These scenes give the film time away from the next contest, and the leads use it well.

There is no need to have exhausted the earlier *Rocky* films to enjoy the central relationship here. The old sporting routines remain visible, and anyone who finds training passages a chore will have reason to fidget. We would make the time for these actors, even if the ring is not usually where we go for a good evening.

*Fi1m score 85, published 16 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome Creed as a refreshing continuation of the Rocky series, crediting Ryan Coogler with giving familiar underdog material enough character and feeling to work again. Praise centres on Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, particularly the warmth of the relationship between Adonis and Rocky and Stallone’s vulnerability in a supporting role. The fight choreography also draws broad approval, with the reviews finding that Coogler makes the bouts exciting without neglecting the people taking the punches.

The main division concerns how much freshness Coogler brings to the formula: admirers find the familiar elements emotionally earned, while sceptics see predictable plotting and dependence on nostalgia. Responses range from enthusiastic endorsements to outright disappointment, though even detractors acknowledge the boxing sequences. The Wrap finds an uninspired retread beneath the generational change, while the Evening Standard notably breaks with the praise for Stallone, judging his performance ordinary.

## Straight answers

**Is Creed worth watching?**

*Creed* is worth watching for anyone who can forgive a boxing film for going where boxing films go, and we scored it 85. Michael B. Jordan and a generous Sylvester Stallone make the mentor and pupil convincing through ordinary work rather than speeches. The plotting is predictable and the pace slackens in places, but the affection is earned.

**How long is Creed, and what is it rated?**

*Creed* runs 2h 13m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and sport film.

**Where can I watch Creed in the US?**

*Creed* is streaming on Hulu, The Roku Channel, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Creed, and is it suitable for children?**

*Creed* is a 12A boxing drama, so its violence is confined to the ring and is more tense than gruesome. A single-take fight is the most punishing stretch, and we tensed up watching it because the unbroken shot offers no relief of a cut. It suits older children and teenagers; very young viewers may find the bouts loud and long.

**How does Creed compare to Rocky Balboa?**

*Creed* is the warmer and more forceful film, while [*Rocky Balboa*](https://film.one/film/rocky-balboa) is the smaller and sadder one, and each is strongest away from the ring. The earlier film's first hour, a widower telling old stories in a half-empty restaurant, is the finer piece of writing, but its fight is a chore. *Creed* fights better and has a dinner date worth the ticket.

**Do you need to have seen the other Rocky films before Creed?**

*Creed* does not require you to have seen the other *Rocky* films, and it works well as a place to start. Adonis Johnson's story is told from scratch, with Rocky Balboa in a supporting role that explains itself as it goes. Long-term followers will get an extra lift from the familiar theme and the older man's age, but newcomers lose nothing that matters.

**What should I watch after Creed?**

After *Creed*, try [*Fat City*](https://film.one/film/fat-city) (1972, Fi1m 73): Boxers with fewer prospects, observed with patience and an unsentimental eye. Then [*The Wrestler*](https://film.one/film/the-wrestler) (2008, Fi1m 85): An ageing professional struggles with the life waiting outside his workplace.

**What order should I watch the Rocky films in?**

Release order is the safe choice for Rocky, and it is the order [our collection page](https://film.one/collections/rocky) lists them in. *Creed* is number 7 of the 9 Rocky titles on Fi1m; before it comes [*Rocky Balboa*](https://film.one/film/rocky-balboa) and after it [*Creed II*](https://film.one/film/creed-ii). [The full order.](https://film.one/collections/rocky.md)

### Reviews we read (28)

- **Empire**, Chris Hewitt (90/100, inferred): The critic says Creed reinvigorates the Rocky series and is the best since the original. They single out Stallone's generous and emotionally raw supporting performance as Rocky. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/creed-review/)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Ryan Coogler's direction for infusing Rocky clichés with genuine feeling and individuality, highlighting the emotional depth in Adonis's story and the strong performances by Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-creed/)
- **Total Film**, James Mottram (85/100, inferred): The critic finds it surprisingly effective, punchy and powerful. They single out the poignant relationship between Rocky and Adonis, along with strong performances from Stallone and Jordan. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/creed-review/)
- **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): Coogler forges an exciting new path while staying true to Rocky lineage, delivering a warm and rousing Hollywood fantasy grounded in loss and human elements. Jordan and Stallone shine in their roles. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/11/review-creed-rocky.html)
- **The AV Club**, Jesse Hassenger (B+): A worthy follow-up to both Rocky and Fruitvale Station that feels like a true successor rather than imitation. Coogler applies the formula with grit and showmanship, confirming his talent as a director. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/creed-is-a-worthy-follow-up-to-both-rocky-and-fruitvale-1798185789)
- **Little White Lies**, Ashley Clark (3/4/4): Coogler delivers an absorbing reboot that sensibly gives Rocky a dignified supporting role while focusing on Adonis's journey to forge his own path. Strong fight choreography and emotional depth make it a sensational franchise rebirth despite some flabbiness in subplots. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/creed)
- **Radio Times** (4/5): This crowd-pleasing seventh Rocky instalment marks a rousing new beginning, with winning chemistry between Jordan and Stallone as the young boxer seeks out his father's old friend as coach. Coogler's pure entertainment judiciously deploys the iconic theme for emotional impact. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-n92w3t/creed/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (80/100, inferred): Coogler's film critiques boxing while showcasing strong performances and fluid fight sequences, emphasizing reticence in storytelling and placing traditionally omitted subjects into populist spectacle. It highlights themes of hard work and rectifying Hollywood's issues. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/creed/)
- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): Creed is a commanding and rousing new entry that gives Stallone's Rocky a tender late-career triumph as mentor. Coogler's indie sensibility brings fresh energy and nostalgia to the formula without embarrassment. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/creed)
- **The Independent** (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it a rousing but corny and predictable nostalgia piece that offers old-fashioned escapism. They single out Sylvester Stallone's moving performance as Rocky, showing vulnerability and accepting his age. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/creed-film-review-sylvester-stallone-rises-to-the-challenge-of-growing-old-a6813281.html)
- **The Guardian** (55/100, inferred): The film is a mixed bag that starts with a ponderous and hackneyed setup but finishes with original, exciting and emotionally resonant scenes. The critic praises the intense fight sequences and strong performances from Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone while criticising the overwritten dialogue and predictable plotting. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/18/creed-review-new-rocky-movie-is-a-split-decision)
- **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): Creed is a scrappy crowd-pleaser that appeals mainly to Rocky fans but struggles to escape the franchise's shadow, relying on nostalgia and familiarity rather than fresh insight. Coogler's intimate character work and Jordan's charisma provide sporadic highlights amid conventional training montages and bouts. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/creed-review/5096922.article)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (40/100, inferred): The critic finds the film impossible to hate but flat-footed and unsurprising overall. They single out the boxing scenes as expertly done while criticizing Stallone's performance as merely bog-standard. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/creed-film-review-can-rocky-still-land-a-knockout-a3157376.html)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: The critic finds it a fresh retelling that rescues the Rocky series from bombast and reclaims its emotional core. He highlights Coogler’s skill as a director in bringing understated naturalism and involving storytelling to the screen. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-creed-review-20151125-column.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Odie Henderson: The critic praises the film as a strong successor to the original Rocky that pays rich emotional dividends while establishing its own story. Coogler’s direction skillfully blends character-driven moments with rousing sports sequences, highlighting excellent performances especially from Jordan, Thompson, and Stallone. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/creed-2015)
- **Sight and Sound**, Jason Anderson: Coogler revitalises the Rocky franchise with a thoughtful, stylish generational hand-off, eliciting a richer performance from Stallone as elderly Rocky than in prior entries. The film punches above its weight for fans of the series' crowd-pleasing side through nuanced character work and inventive fight sequences. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-creed)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: Stallone delivers a stellar turn as the aging Rocky in this formulaic but solid and likeable Rocky spinoff. Coogler makes a smooth transition to studio filmmaking with sturdy results focused on the new protagonist's journey. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/creed-film-review-840220/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott: The critic calls it a terrific boxing movie that is both soothingly old-fashioned and bracingly up-to-date. He singles out the gentle, easygoing tone and Michael B. Jordan’s performance as the standout element. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/movies/review-in-creed-rockys-back-as-a-mentor-not-a-fighter.html)
- **Variety**, Andrew Barker: The critic calls it a smart, kinetic, and exhilaratingly well-crafted mainstream film that lives up to its predecessors while forging its own path. He singles out the knockout performances by Michael B. Jordan and especially Sylvester Stallone for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/creed-review-michael-b-jordan-1201640507/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A-): The critic calls it a magical spinoff that mixes the heart of the original Rocky with lightness, highlighting the central friendship between Adonis and Rocky along with strong performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. [Read](https://collider.com/creed-movie-review-rocky-spinoff-michael-b-jordan/)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4.5/5): The review calls Creed a terrific, moving powerhouse anchored by fantastic performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, with energetic direction and a thoughtful screenplay that avoids feeling formulaic. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/creed-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Ben Rawson-Jones (90/100, inferred): The critic describes Creed as a total triumph that fuses nostalgia with fresh drama, praising the sincere writing, direction, and standout performances especially from Sylvester Stallone as a mournful Rocky. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a779729/creed-review-latest-rocky-rumble-packs-emotion-as-well-as-muscle/)
- **/Film**, Jacob Hall (90/100, inferred): A very good movie and perfect Rocky entry that restores the original's warmth, charm, and honesty while focusing on character humanity and growth; it singles out the small, barebones story of Adonis and the nuanced Stallone performance as standout elements. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/541110/creed-review-rocky-series/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): Pete Hammond praises the film as a fresh reinvention of the Rocky formula centered on Apollo Creed's son, highlighting the strong performances especially Stallone's best work in years and the innovative fight scenes. He notes it successfully passes the torch to a new generation while retaining the emotional heart of the franchise. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/11/creed-review-sylvester-stallone-michael-b-jordan-ryan-coogler-1201635931/)
- **HeyUGuys**, Daniel Brightmore (80/100, inferred): The film follows Adonis Johnson's journey from troubled youth to professional boxer seeking to forge his own path under Rocky's guidance, delivering gritty rites of passage and compelling underdog drama before the punches fly. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/creed-review/)
- **Polygon**, Arthur Gies (80/100, inferred): The critic finds that Creed earns its emotional punches and clichéd elements through strong character work, singling out Michael B. Jordan's magnetic performance and an innovative single-take fight sequence for praise while noting some uneven pacing. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/2015/11/20/9771864/creed-review/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B): Rousing in spirit and emotionally dynamic with strong performances from Jordan and Stallone, it is a worthy Rocky successor that proves Coogler is the real deal, though it remains safe, familiar, and indebted to the earlier films without a fully distinct identity. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-ryan-cooglers-creed-starring-michael-b-jordan-and-sylvester-stallone-20151124/)
- **The Wrap**, Robert Abele (40/100, inferred): Robert Abele finds the generational twist on Rocky uninspired, criticizing it as a reverent but unrefreshed entry that feels like another by-the-numbers retread despite solid fight choreography. He notes the film never rises above familiar franchise territory despite Coogler's involvement. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creed-review-michael-b-jordan-sylvester-stallone-tessa-thompson/)

## Details

- **Director:** Ryan Coogler
- **Director:** Ryan Coogler
- **Screenplay:** Aaron Covington, Ryan Coogler
- **Story:** Ryan Coogler
- **Cinematography:** Maryse Alberti
- **Editor:** Claudia Castello, Michael P. Shawver
- **Music:** Ludwig Göransson
- **Production design:** Hannah Beachler
- **Costume design:** Antoinette Messam, Emma Potter
- **Producer:** David Winkler, Kevin King, Sylvester Stallone
- **Cast:** Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Johnson; Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa; Tessa Thompson as Bianca; Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne Creed; Andre Ward as Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler; Tony Bellew as 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan; Ritchie Coster as Pete Sporino; Jacob 'Stitch' Duran as Stitch
- **Runtime:** 2h 13m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 25 November 2015
- **Genres:** Drama, Sport
- **Part of:** [Rocky](https://film.one/collections/rocky.md) · 7 of 9
- **Budget:** $37 million
- **Box office:** $174 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ9OhBYjTds

## Where to watch in the US

- Hulu: streaming, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Apple TV: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Disney+: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-16.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2016: Best Supporting Actor (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Fat City* (1972), Fi1m 73: Boxers with fewer prospects, observed with patience and an unsentimental eye. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fat-city.md)
- *Girlfight* (2000): Another young fighter discovers that discipline cannot quite settle the anger.
- *A Scene at the Sea* (1991): Patient sporting practice and a quiet romance, with little interest in speeches.
- *The Wrestler* (2008), Fi1m 85: An ageing professional struggles with the life waiting outside his workplace. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wrestler.md)
- *The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki* (2016): A boxer finds that love complicates the business of becoming somebody.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/creed