---
title: "Southpaw: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/southpaw/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/southpaw"
critics_score: 49
critics_reviews: 29
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): what the critics said

Critics' score 49 from 29 reviews: 3 positive, 15 mixed, 11 negative.

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.

## Empire — Damon Wise

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 28 June 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/southpaw-review/)

## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2015. 

Macnab finds the film absurd and unoriginal but rousingly entertaining. He praises the forceful staging of the final boxing showdown.

[Read the review](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

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 16 June 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/southpaw-film-review-802734/)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/southpaw-review/5089468.article)

## Radio Times — Damon Wise

Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yb4slw/southpaw/)

## Total Film — Paul Bradshaw

Rating 3/5. 21 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/southpaw-2015-review/)

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating C. 21 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-jake-gyllenhaals-monstrous-extremes-the-mixed-blessing-of-southpaw-60304/)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating C. 23 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/boxing-drama-southpaw-isn-t-worth-the-gym-time-jake-gyl-1798184520)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-southpaw-review-20150724-column.html)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 3/2/2. 23 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/southpaw)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 2/5. 23 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/southpaw)

## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole

Rating 1.5/4. 21 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/southpaw/)

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 2015. 

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 the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-1201521347/)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/movie-review-southpaw.html)

## Film Comment — Michael Sragow

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-southpaw/)

## The Guardian — Jonathan Romney

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/26/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-jonathan-romney)

## The New York Times — A.O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2015. 

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 the review](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

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2015. 

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 the review](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

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/southpaw-is-a-throwback-in-the-worst-way)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://deadline.com/2015/07/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-rachel-mcadams-forest-whitaker-1201482362/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a659565/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-bulks-up-for-a-heavyweight-performance/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/southpaw-review-jake-gyllenhaal-rachel-mcadams-forest-whitaker/)

## Consequence — Brian Welk

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 22 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://consequence.net/2015/07/film-review-southpaw/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 3/5. 22 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/southpaw-review/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 58/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-16184-312340)

## Paste — Brent McKnight

Rating 5.4/10. 22 July 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/southpaw)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/southpaw-2015-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/southpaw-review/)

## Collider — Liam van den Hoek

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2022. 

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 the review](https://collider.com/southpaw-boxing-movie-wasted-potential/)

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