--- title: "Southpaw" year: 2015 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/southpaw" fi1m_id: "southpaw" imdb_id: "tt1798684" tmdb_id: 307081 wikidata_id: "Q17276718" fi1m_score: 54 critics_score: 49 critics_reviews: 29 published: "2026-09-24T09:53:07.019300+00:00" updated: "2026-09-24T09:53:07.600729+00:00" region: "HR" 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." --- # Southpaw (2015) Directed by Antoine Fuqua · 2h 03m · Action, Drama ## Identity Southpaw - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/southpaw - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** southpaw - **IMDb ID:** tt1798684 - **TMDB ID:** 307081 - **Wikidata ID:** Q17276718 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798684/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/307081, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17276718 **Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 49 from 29 reviews *In a sentence:* All those muscles, and Jake Gyllenhaal still cannot drag the script somewhere new > Jake Gyllenhaal makes the boxing convincing and gives the family scenes some warmth. But Antoine Fuqua’s drama keeps piling on hardships when it needs to spend more time getting to know its characters. ## Synopsis Billy ‘The Great’ Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a boxer whose aggression shapes his life outside the ring as well as his fighting. His family includes Maureen Hope (Rachel McAdams) and his daughter, Leila Hope (Oona Laurence). Billy wants to keep his family together while pursuing his career, but answering pressure with anger makes that harder. The early fights establish how much punishment his body can take. At home, the demands are different: being Leila’s father requires a patience that boxing has not taught him. ## Review *Southpaw* gives Jake Gyllenhaal a demanding physical role and a disappointingly easy story to predict. Antoine Fuqua wants the boxing to tell us how Billy thinks, and the fights often manage it. Kurt Sutter’s screenplay is less patient with the family drama, adding hardships before the people enduring them have become sufficiently interesting. It is an uneven film with a persuasive leading performance, and too much of its emotional weight rests on that performance alone. His work deserves more attention than a tally of the muscles he has acquired. He makes Billy’s aggression seem habitual, something the man has learned to depend on and cannot readily put aside. His changing approach to boxing gives us a way of reading his state of mind without another explanation from the script. There are limits to how much anger a performance can sustain, though, and the film keeps returning him to it when we want to discover something else. Mauro Fiore’s cinematography gives the bouts a force that the scenes outside the ring too often lack. John Refoua cuts them with a clear sense of pressure, maintaining suspense rather than simply hurrying through the exchanges. We flinched at the boxing because Jake Gyllenhaal moves convincingly enough for the punishment to feel ugly. The bouts hold our attention without any need for another calamity outside the ring. The family scenes have their own advantages, particularly Oona Laurence as Leila Hope. Her connection with Jake Gyllenhaal makes Billy’s responsibilities as a father matter, even when the writing is pushing hard for a response. Rachel McAdams, as Maureen Hope, helps give these relationships some warmth, but Kurt Sutter allows too little room for the family to exist beyond Billy’s troubles. We wanted more time with them as people before being asked to worry quite so much about them. Forest Whitaker supplies welcome steadiness as Titus ‘Tick’ Wills, the compassionate trainer. His presence makes the familiar business of a boxer accepting guidance watchable, although the character has little chance to surprise us. That is the difficulty throughout: the actors keep suggesting lives that the screenplay does not make time to explore. When another burst of violence arrives, it tends to repeat what we already know about Billy. Derek R. Hill’s production design gives the boxing a credible setting, without making Billy’s surroundings especially memorable. James Horner’s music is more insistent, pressing for feelings that the actors are already working hard to provide. Neither the score nor the succession of setbacks trusts a small response to be enough. Boxing dramas need time outside the ring to make their people worth caring about, and this one keeps spending that time on another crisis. At 123 minutes, *Southpaw* also gives us too much time to anticipate its next demand for sympathy. A leaner film might have made better use of the force in those fights and the tenderness between father and daughter. For anyone chiefly interested in a committed boxing performance, the lead actor provides a reason to stay. If it is the family story that interests you, we would keep looking. *Fi1m score 54, published 24 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The consensus on Southpaw is mixed, leaning towards disappointment, with Jake Gyllenhaal attracting far more agreement than the film around him. Most critics praise his physical commitment and convincing movement in the ring; several also find vulnerability and psychological detail in his performance. The boxing scenes draw recurring praise for their brutality and energy, while some reviews find the father-daughter relationship affecting enough to make the familiar story work. The main divide is over how much those strengths compensate for the script. Reservations cluster around predictable plotting, implausible hardships and heavy-handed melodrama, with several critics finding the characters thinly written. The spread is wide: Deadline is strongly enthusiastic about both Gyllenhaal and the family drama, while The New Yorker finds that the energetic cast cannot rescue bland writing and impersonal direction. Even the warmer reviews generally acknowledge how closely the film follows boxing-drama conventions. ## Straight answers **Is Southpaw worth watching?** *Southpaw* is worth considering for Jake Gyllenhaal’s convincing boxing performance, but we score it 54 for a predictable drama that gives its characters too little room. The fights have force and the father-daughter scenes offer warmth; we would keep looking if the family story matters more to you than the action. **How long is Southpaw, and what is it rated?** *Southpaw* runs 2h 03m. It is an action and drama film. **Where can I watch Southpaw in Croatia?** *Southpaw* is not on any streaming or rental service in Croatia at the moment. It is available in 33 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Southpaw, and is it suitable for children?** *Southpaw* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children, with boxing that makes physical punishment feel ugly and convincing. We flinched at the bouts, and the repeated violence and family hardships make this a tough choice for squeamish viewers, including teenagers old enough to meet the certificate. **How does Southpaw compare to The Wrestler?** *Southpaw* is the weaker choice beside [*The Wrestler*](https://film.one/film/the-wrestler) if you want to get to know the person beneath an athlete’s battered body. We find Gyllenhaal persuasive in the ring, but *The Wrestler* gives its central performance more room for tenderness and humour, despite a familiar second-chance story that also presses too hard. ### Reviews we read (29) - **Empire**, Damon Wise (75/100, inferred): Wise finds the familiar sports-story plot elevated by Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance. He particularly praises Gyllenhaal’s physical transformation and the way his changing fight style conveys Billy’s mental state. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/southpaw-review/) - **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (70/100, inferred): Macnab finds the film absurd and unoriginal but rousingly entertaining. He praises the forceful staging of the final boxing showdown. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/southpaw-film-review-absurd-and-unoriginal-but-rousingly-entertaining-10409794.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, THR Staff (65/100, inferred): The review finds a conventional boxing story made exciting by its cast, though its macho focus limits its crossover appeal. It singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s magnetic, award-worthy performance as the film’s main attraction. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/southpaw-film-review-802734/) - **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It likewise does not show what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/southpaw-review/5089468.article) - **Radio Times**, Damon Wise (3/5): The critic finds the drama visceral but somewhat familiar. Its visceral presentation is singled out for praise, while its familiar story is the main reservation. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yb4slw/southpaw/) - **Total Film**, Paul Bradshaw (3/5): Bradshaw finds the film hit-and-miss, with a clichéd story that fails to match its lead performance. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed, psychologically acute performance for praise. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/southpaw-2015-review/) - **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (C): Kohn finds the film formulaic and its comeback story hollow, despite its energetic moments. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s intense, expressive performance as the film’s saving strength. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-jake-gyllenhaals-monstrous-extremes-the-mixed-blessing-of-southpaw-60304/) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (C): Dowd finds the film a humorless, run-of-the-mill sports drama whose clichés waste Gyllenhaal’s commitment. He praises the authentic boxing scenes and the star’s athletic conviction in the ring. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/boxing-drama-southpaw-isn-t-worth-the-gym-time-jake-gyl-1798184520) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (50/100, inferred): Turan finds the film entertainingly audacious but undermined by a contrived, logic-defying script. He praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed transformation and convincing movement in the ring, while noting the role does not suit his talents. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-southpaw-review-20150724-column.html) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (3/2/2): The review finds the boxing drama underwhelming and anticlimactic, relying on familiar sports-film conventions. It praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed performance but faults the script for substituting violent outbursts for drama. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/southpaw) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (2/5): The critic finds the boxing melodrama too obvious and says it fails to match Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance. Gyllenhaal’s all-out commitment is the film’s standout strength. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/southpaw) - **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (1.5/4): The critic finds the film thematically narrow and its characters simplistically written. He praises Gyllenhaal’s committed performance and singles out the cinematography as the film’s other real highlight. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/southpaw/) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (35/100, inferred): Chang finds the film a heavy-handed, conventional melodrama whose emotional manipulation undermines its story. He praises the dynamically filmed boxing scenes and Gyllenhaal’s committed transformation, while criticizing the shallow characterization. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-1201521347/) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (35/100, inferred): Edelstein is mostly appalled by the film’s relentless melodrama, though he is impressed by Jake Gyllenhaal’s commitment. He praises Gyllenhaal’s physical transformation but faults the performance for staying emotionally narrow. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/movie-review-southpaw.html) - **Film Comment**, Michael Sragow (30/100, inferred): Sragow finds the film’s routine melodrama too rigid to become a contender. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal as the element that could have made it work. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-southpaw/) - **The Guardian**, Jonathan Romney (30/100, inferred): Romney finds the film a clichéd, underpowered boxing drama that fails to connect. He singles out Gyllenhaal’s physical transformation as impressive, but says the story remains closer to formula than to the genre’s greats. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/26/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-jonathan-romney) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film weighed down by familiar melodrama, despite Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed performance. It singles out his physical transformation as a strength amid the story’s formulaic turns. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/movies/review-in-southpaw-jake-gyllenhaal-tries-to-box-his-way-back-from-tragedy.html) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (25/100, inferred): O'Sullivan finds the film entertaining in places but ultimately calls it nonsense, faulting its slick direction and packaged script. She praises Jake Gyllenhaal's engaging, technically impressive performance, while arguing that his physical transformation cannot carry the film. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-is-all-beefcake-but-can-he-land-a-killer-punch-10412669.html) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (15/100, inferred): Brody finds the film a hollow, poorly directed drama that its actors cannot rescue. He praises the cast’s energetic performances, particularly the brief training scenes, while faulting the bland script and impersonal direction. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/southpaw-is-a-throwback-in-the-worst-way) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (85/100, inferred): Hammond delivers a strongly positive verdict, calling the film a sterling addition to the boxing genre. He especially praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed lead performance and the father-daughter story’s emotional pull. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/07/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-rachel-mcadams-forest-whitaker-1201482362/) - **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the drama predictable and overdone, but says Gyllenhaal’s performance gives it considerable weight. The natural father-daughter bond between Gyllenhaal and Oona Laurence is a particular strength. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a659565/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-bulks-up-for-a-heavyweight-performance/) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film entertaining despite its familiar, old-fashioned story. He praises how Gyllenhaal’s character evolves as a boxer and how the editing makes the fights taut and suspenseful. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-rachel-mcadams-forest-whitaker/) - **Consequence**, Brian Welk (60/100, inferred): Welk finds the film adrenalized and emotionally forceful, but ultimately heavy-handed and one-note. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s restrained, compelling performance as its standout strength. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/07/film-review-southpaw/) - **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (3/5): Kaye finds Southpaw predictable and emotionally overdone, though still entertaining and occasionally gripping. He praises Gyllenhaal’s intensity, Whitaker’s compassionate trainer, and Fuqua’s brutally staged fights. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/southpaw-review/) - **NME** (58/100, inferred): The review finds the film predictable and ultimately limited, though its comeback story is reasonably stirring. It praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s gripping performance and Antoine Fuqua’s realistically brutal boxing scenes. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16184-312340) - **Paste**, Brent McKnight (5.4/10): McKnight finds the film a predictable, overlong sports drama that cannot rise above its familiar plot. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s immersive performance as its sole highlight. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/southpaw) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (50/100, inferred): Kermode finds the familiar boxing-drama plot affecting thanks to its cast, though the film lacks imagination. She singles out Jake Gyllenhaal’s vulnerable performance for praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/southpaw-2015-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (45/100, inferred): Pape finds Southpaw uneven, with its melodrama and implausible hardships weakening an otherwise entertaining underdog story. He praises Jake Gyllenhaal’s nuanced performance and Oona Laurence’s work as his daughter. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/southpaw-review/) - **Collider**, Liam van den Hoek (30/100, inferred): The critic sees Southpaw as a missed opportunity, despite its strong emotional foundation. Gyllenhaal’s performance and the film’s portrayal of Billy’s family relationships stand out, while the underdeveloped redemption arc is a key complaint. [Read](https://collider.com/southpaw-boxing-movie-wasted-potential/) ## Details - **Director:** Antoine Fuqua - **Director:** Antoine Fuqua - **Writer:** Kurt Sutter - **Cinematography:** Mauro Fiore - **Editor:** John Refoua - **Music:** James Horner - **Production design:** Derek R. Hill - **Costume design:** David C. Robinson - **Producer:** Jason Blumenthal, Antoine Fuqua, Steve Tisch - **Cast:** Jake Gyllenhaal as Billy 'The Great' Hope; Rachel McAdams as Maureen Hope; Forest Whitaker as Titus 'Tick' Wills; Oona Laurence as Leila Hope; 50 Cent as Jordan Mains; Skylan Brooks as Hoppy; Naomie Harris as Angela Rivera; Victor Ortiz as Ramone - **Runtime:** 2h 03m - **First release (CN):** 13 June 2015 - **Genres:** Action, Drama - **Budget:** $30 million - **Box office:** $92 million ## Where to watch in Croatia Not streaming, renting or buying in Croatia at the last check. Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, SE, SG, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Set-Up* (1949): A lean boxing drama that makes every round feel like time running out. - *Rocco and His Brothers* (1960): Family loyalties complicate another boxing story, with more room for everyone involved. - *Girlfight* (2000): A young fighter’s anger gets the patient character work Billy is denied. - *Tokyo Fist* (1995): For boxing driven by jealousy, with none of the reassuring comeback machinery. - *The Wrestler* (2008), Fi1m 85: Another battered athlete, with more attention paid to the person beneath the damage. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-wrestler.md) --- © 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/southpaw