BRUISED MOVIE REVIEW

If you’ve seen one fighting movie, you’ve probably seen them all, so when a new one comes along, you gotta wonder, “What is it about this entry into the well trodden genre that will make it stand out?” “Bruised” is the latest in the boxing/MMA movie genre that continues to be produced, despite a waning interest in films of this type. You know the formula: the underdog looking for redemption; the “Rocky” style training montage; the setbacks on the way to victory or failure. There have been films that have risen to prove themselves contenders in the genre, and Jena, Frank, Melina, and T.C. are ready to decide if “Bruised” rises to the challenge or if it’s a KO. The film is Halle Berry’s directorial debut about a former UFC fighter Jackie “Pretty Bull” Justice (played by Halle Berry). Jackie lives with boyfriend and manager, Desi, in inner-city Newark, four years after a career ending forfeit in UFC. Earning a living as a housecleaner, she relies on alcohol to cope with the tedium of her daily life. Soon, she begins down the road to redemption in the cage and finds the courage to face her demons when the son she had given up as an infant unexpectedly reenters her life. With the help of Sheila Atim as Buddhakan and the hindrance of Adriane Lenox as Jackie’s mom Angel, Jackie isn’t ready for a second chance, she’s ready for her last chance. But the real question is, does the squad think “Bruised” is worth anyone giving it any chance at all?

WATCH HERE

DIRECTED BY: Halle Berry

STARRING: Halle Berry, Danny Boyd Jr., Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Adriane Lenox, Valentina Shevchenko, Lela Loren

 

YOUR REVIEWERS

 

T.C. De Witt (Screener Squad)

T.C. De Witt is a multi-awarded writer/director originally from Wisconsin and now based in Los Angeles. His life has been devoted to the arts since he was a child. He’s been a stage performer, playwright, stand-up comic, film and television actor, radio DJ, podcaster published author, recorded musician, and comic writer/illustrator. He is now a professional screenwriter and has been thriving for the past decade, regularly offering his talents to production studios in LA, Chicago, Milwaukee, and internationally in Sydney and Poland. He’s provided content for Amazon Prime, Netflix, and several YouTube partners. His films have screened internationally, and his stageplays have been performed across the country. In the last ten years, he has directed 57 films, 23 episodes of his series The One Minute Rewatch, 300+ episodes of podcasts, and his multi-award-winning short film Screen: Righter screened at the Festival de Cannes in 2016. He has released two feature films, The Princess Knight and A Christmas Sunset. He thrives on collaboration and the thrill of sharing stories in all forms.

 

 

Jena Perry (Screener Squad)

Jena Perry. Aka Luna. Aka Dion. Aka Memori. Aka Dog whisperer. Aka whiskey connoisseur. As you can see, depending on when you met this Oakland, California native, you have experienced a completely different person, each time. After finally deciding on a 13+year career choice as a Videographer and Radio Personality, Jena balances her time between pursuing her Doctorate in Philosophy, providing insightful and funny critiques on films and Television, raising her daughter and dog in Ohio, and constantly fighting off the existential dread that is being a dope black woman in America in the 20th century.

 

 

Frank Calvillo (Highly Suspect Reviews, Screener Squad)

Born and raised in South Texas, Frank currently lives in Austin and has been in love with movies ever since his father showed him some Three Stooges shorts when he was...