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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
This inspirational sports biopic just crashed the Prime Video top 10 — and it's 93% on Rotten Tomatoes
Prime Video looks to have another hit on its hands with "The Fire Inside." Despite only coming to the platform a few days ago, it's already climbed into the Prime Video top 10 list. If you've not seen it before, "The Fire Inside" is a biopic about American professional boxer Claressa "T-Rex" Shields that was directed by Rachel Morrison (in her feature directorial debut) and written by Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight," "The Underground Railroad"). "The Fire Inside" might not have made a splash at the box office, but it was released to critical acclaim. Over on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, you'll see it's Certified Fresh, with a 93% critics score and an equally impressive 94% on the Popcornmeter. The movie came to Prime Video on May 27, and in the days since, it's risen through the ranks to claim 5th place on the Prime Video top 10. That's quite the feat, given it's behind the likes of "Another Simple Favor", "Twisters", and "Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning." Trying to decide whether to stream "The Fire Inside" on Prime Video? Here's a little more info about the trending movie, and a round-up of what people have had to say about the streamer's new arrival. "The Fire Inside" is a sports biopic based on the early career of American professional boxer, Claressa "T-Rex" Shields (here played by Ryan Destiny). The movie explores her life from when the Flint, Michigan native first set foot inside a boxing gym, through to her becoming the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. In addition to Ryan Destiny, "The Fire Inside" also stars Brian Tyree Henry as Claressa's coach, Jason Crutchfield, plus Oluniké Adeliyi as Jackie Shields, De'Adre Aziza as Mickey, and Adam Clark as Clarence. As I mentioned, "The Fire Inside" comes highly recommended from both critics and fellow moviegoers alike. For example, The Guardian's Benjamin Lee rated the movie 4/5 stars, praising it as a "blazing boxing drama [that] packs a serious punch", adding: "The real-life victories by Shields and her coach were not easy, both pre- and post- Olympics, and what really makes The Fire Inside soar is that Morrison works just as hard to win us over." Marya E. Gates wrote: "Although the film hits a lot of the beats you'd expect, as it outlines Shields' journey towards Olympic gold, it does so with the kind of simple, lived-in details and empathy that Jenkins brought to his Best Picture winner 'Moonlight." Reviewing for Variety, Owen Gleiberman called "The Fire Inside" both "a grippingly downbeat boxing drama" and "a real rouser," adding: "The arc of the drama is built around an enormous curveball it throws at the audience. And that's when the movie really gets good." If you look at audience reactions on Rotten Tomatoes, you'll see plenty more glowing praise, too, including plenty of perfect 5/5 ratings. One user called "The Fire Inside" "a must-watch," "a raw, relentless, and inspiring masterpiece, and added: "This isn't just a boxing movie; it's a powerful story of grit, resilience and unbreakable spirit." Elsewhere, you'll see praise for the cast's performances, and buzzwords like "uplifting", "emotional" and "rewarding". Given that glowing reaction, I couldn't help but check it out for myself, and I'm inclined to agree; "The Fire Inside" gets my recommendation, too. Morrison's movie absolutely is a rousing watch, one that shines a light on Claressa's achievements with some solid in-ring action, but also worth sticking with for the grounded drama that follows her 2012 Olympic victory. Not sold on "The Fire Inside," but still looking for something new to watch? Check out our round-up of the best movies on Prime Video for tons more streaming recommendations for your next movie night.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Thuso Mbedu teams up with Mark Ruffalo in the thrilling crime drama 'Task'
Alison Oliver and Thuso Mbedu in new crime drama series called "Task". Image: Supplied Multi-award-winning South African actress Thuso Mbedu has joined the likes of Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo in the new crime series 'Task'. Set to drop in September, the show will see Mbedu star as Sergeant Aleah Clinton, who is part of a task force that is sent out to put an end to a violent string of robberies in a working-class neighbourhood of Philadelphia. This seven-episode series is created and written by the creator of 'Mare of Easttown', Brad Ingelsby. The rest of the star-studded cast includes Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Raúl Castillo, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Fabien Frankel and Alison Oliver. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ This series marks the 33-year-old's fifth international project as she continues to fly the South African flag high. She made her international breakthrough in 2021 after she became the lead actress in Amazon Studios' adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel, 'The Underground Railroad', slipping into the skin of Cora Randall, a slave on the Randall plantation in Georgia. The actress went on to appear in multiple other award-winning movies and TV shows, such as the internationally acclaimed movie 'The Woman King' in 2022, playing Nawi alongside award-winning actress Viola Davis. She also voiced the role of Annete in an animated television series called 'Castlevania: Nocturne' in 2023. She went on to voice the character of Junia in the award-winning 'Mufasa: The Lion King' in 2024. Mbedu has also received nominations internationally for her roles in some movies, which include the award for Best Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards. She won the Outstanding Performance award at the Gotham Awards for her role in 'The Underground Railroad', and she went on to win the TV Breakout Star Award in the same year at the Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards. Mbedu is also a two-time International Emmy Award nominee and won an award for Best Performance by an actress in 2018. Meanwhile, she announced in January that she will appear star in 'Children of Blood and Bone' and will be sharing the screen alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Amandla Sternberg, Damson Idris, Cynthia Erivo, Viola Davis, Idris Elba as well as Lashana Lynch. Watch the 'Task' trailer below:
