Florence Pugh's Wrestling Movie With Dwayne Johnson Is A Must-Watch On Prime Video

Florence Pugh is one of the biggest movie stars around. That's thanks to her obvious good taste in parts and projects, as well as her talent leading her to work with some big name directors and franchises. She's appeared in films as varied (and as successful) as Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two," Greta Gerwig's "Little Women," and has even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yelena Belova/Black Widow, who can currently be seen in this summer's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." As with most actors who rise steadily to stardom, it's tricky to pinpoint an exact film or role that counts as their big breakout. For example, do we say "Bad Boys" was when Will Smith became a movie star, or is it more accurate to give "Independence Day" that credit?

For Pugh, it's probably Ari Aster's "Midsommar" that hoisted her into the big leagues, given how buzzworthy and disturbing it was. Yet a few months before Pugh starred in that 2019 horror film, she appeared in "Fighting with My Family," in which she portrayed a woman with a pretty significant following of her own: Saraya-Jade Bevis, who wrestles under the name Paige for WWE. Called Saraya Knight in the film, Pugh really stands out in the role, so much so that it likely would've helped her become a big star even if "Midsommar" hadn't been just around the corner. It certainly doesn't hurt that she's the lead of an ensemble which includes the likes of Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who plays himself. Though it obviously appeals to wrestling fans and WWE aficionados, "Fighting with My Family" is a delight on multiple levels, making it a must-watch now that it's streaming on Prime Video.

Even though "Fighting with My Family" is based on a one-hour TV documentary directed by Max Fisher entitled "The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family" from 2012, the feature film adaptation has much more to offer than just a dramatized version of Saraya-Jade Bevis' story. For one thing, it functions as a classic underdog sports movie in its own right, with Florence Pugh's Saraya/Paige fighting against the odds to eventually rise to the top of WWE's "Divas" roster. The film stands out from male-centric films like the "Rocky" series and the recent "Beast" by featuring a young woman as the lead. It also doubles as a charming, witty family drama, as the dynamic between Paige and her loving wrestler parents makes for great, warm comedy, while her attempts to bring her beloved brother Zak (Jack Lowden) up through the ranks with her allows the film to tug a heartstring or two.

If all of that still isn't enough to entice you, perhaps the identity film's surprising director will. "Fighting with My Family" was made by, of all people, Stephen Merchant, the actor and comedian who co-created the original "The Office" along with Ricky Gervais. The director brings his penchant for sharp, incisive comedy to "Fighting with My Family," as well as a distinctive English flavor, thanks to Paige being from Norwich in Norfolk, England. As proof of its Englishness, the film's score is by regular Merchant collaborator Vik Sharma, who brought on Graham Coxon (of the Britpop band Blur) to co-compose. "Fighting with My Family" is a film which has a little something for everyone, which fits with its theme of not judging a book (or person, or movie) by its cover.