Battle of the Sexes

Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' thoughtful dramedy is really more about King's personal journey than it is the big match between King and Riggs -- and that's a good thing. She has to do a fair bit of soul-searching before she's really ready to put it all on the line, and her struggles make her even more sympathetic. As played by Stone, King's softer, more vulnerable moments, especially the ones with Marilyn (Riseborough), help make her a real, relatable person -- not "just" a legendary athlete. Carell's Riggs, meanwhile, is both funny and sad; it's difficult not to chuckle at his wild schemes and antics, but it's clear that he pursues them because he can't find any other source of joy and excitement in his life. (That said, you may be hard-pressed to hold on to any kind feelings toward him once he starts gleefully spewing extreme male-chauvinist rhetoric.)

As for the infamous match itself, let's just say that it's always a good sign when a movie based on real-life events with a widely known outcome can build genuinely suspenseful "how will it turn out?" tension at critical junctures (see: Apollo 13). Even non-tennis fans will be caught up in the serves and rallies. And while you can't help wishing that the issues King was fighting for -- equal pay and respect for women -- were as much a thing of the past as all of the movie's '70s cars, clothes, and props (airport TVs!), the fact that they're still timely makes Battle of the Sexes all the more relevant and compelling.