Review: Bleed for This

By John Corrado

★★½ (out of 4)

Based on an incredible true comeback story, Bleed for This recounts the career of boxer Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), a world class champion from Rhode Island who is riding high after a win, but suffers a major setback when he breaks his neck in a car crash.

Vinny ends up needing to have his head in a metal halo for six months, and is told that his time as a boxer is over, but he is determined to push himself to the limit and starts secretly training with his coach (Aaron Eckhart) in his family’s basement, so that he can get back into the ring as soon as the cage comes off his head.

Although Bleed for This follows the usual sports movie beats, and isn’t as strong overall as other boxing movies like The Fighter and Creed, it’s kept entertaining thanks to some energetic editing in the fight scenes and training montages.

The film is especially worth seeing for the incredibly solid performances from Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart, with the former proving that his work in Whiplash was no fluke and the latter revelling in an impressive comeback year between this and Sully.  They both dedicate themselves to their roles, and keep us watching even if we already know the outcome of the true story, making Bleed for This entertaining and uplifting enough to be worth a look for fans of boxing movies.