Two brothers must fight to survive in the bare-knuckle boxing drama Jungleland

Jungleland is the upcoming family drama set in the world of bare-knuckle boxing from director Max Winkler (Flower), and he also co-wrote the script with Theodore Bressman (Future Man) and David Branson Smith (Ingrid Goes West).

 Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and Jack O’Connell (Unbroken) star as a pair of siblings, Stan and Lion, with Stan seeing his younger brother’s talent for boxing as their ticket out of their regular working class lives. When Stan fails to pay back a loan to a dangerous gangster (Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country), the pair are forced to participate in an unsanctioned high-stakes bare-knuckle boxing tournament where winning could see them clear Stan’s debt. But despite his name, Lion has always been a reluctant fighter, and the situation they now find themselves in puts a massive strain on the brothers’ relationship – one they’ll have to overcome in order to succeed together.

The official plot synopsis is as follows:

Stan (Charlie Hunnam) and Lion (Jack O’Connell) are two brothers struggling to stay relevant in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. When Stan fails to pay back a dangerous crime boss (Jonathon Majors), they’re forced to deliver an unexpected traveler as they journey across the country for a high-stakes fighting tournament. While Stan trains Lion for the fight of his life, a series of events threaten to tear the brothers apart but their love for one another and belief in a better life keep them going in this gripping drama that proves family pulls no punches.

Let’s take a look:

I wasn’t feeling much besides some mild curiosity when I clicked play, but now you can consider me impressed. This looks like an excellent drama thanks to what look like great performances from both Hunnam and O’Connell. I also really like the understated tone the movie is going for. Often movies of this type, and sports movies in particular, tend to be cheesy and bombastic – but that’s not the case here. Jungleland looks well directed and acted, while the plot seems simple yet compelling.

What do you think?

Jungleland will have a limited release in US theatres on 6 November before being available on digital and on-demand on 10 November. It also stars Jessica Barden, Owen Burke, Fran Kranz, Frank L. Ridley, John Cullum, and Lucien Spelman.

Last Updated: October 16, 2020