Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming coming-of-age comedy has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Miguel Wants to Fight
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Miguel (Tyler Dean Flores) has a tight-knit group of four friends in MIGUEL WANTS TO FIGHT. They include David (Christian Vunipola), whose well-known boxer father passed away in an accident, fast-talking Srini (Suraj Partha), and street-smart Cass (Imani Lewis). The foursome live in a neighborhood where the sport of boxing reigns supreme for masculine heroes, and where street fights break out on the regular. But Miguel has a secret: He's never "jumped in" to engage in the street fights and help his friends out. That, even though his dad (Raul Castillo) is a coach in the local boxing gym. When his family announces they're leaving the neighborhood, Miguel realizes it's his last and best chance to show he can fight for his friends. He enlists his friends to help him find the right target and get involved in the action. But nothing that week goes as planned.
Is It Any Good?
This unique, energetic, and charming film about a gang of scrappy best friends from the neighborhood is boosted by fast-moving dialogues, inventive action sequences, and four spirited performances. Miguel Wants to Fight is ultimately a film about friendship. The four adolescents, friends since early childhood and now on the cusp of young adulthood, share a surprisingly sweet and extraordinarily strong bond -- so much so that a late-film argument between two of them is intentionally hard to watch. We care about and root for these teens, as they do for each other. Their diverse backgrounds offer fodder in the script, from writers Shea Serrano and Jason Concepcion, for some cleverly funny heckling among local teens.
Behind their witty repartee, the characters are depicted as wholesome, a little nerdy, and charmingly childlike. Each of the four main actors embodies these traits in natural and likable ways, especially lead Flores, whose irrepressible smile and general air of nervousness are a welcome antidote to the toxic masculinity around him. Bolstering the humor are imagined action sequences of Miguel, a film buff, envisioning himself triumphing in a variety of fight scenarios, from fantastical Bruce Lee, Matrix, and Crouching Tiger-style skirmishes to anime-inspired battles, some set to Spanish rap and all brought by director Oz Rodriguez and crew to life with upbeat graphics.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Miguel is so intent on fighting in Miguel Wants to Fight. What does it mean to him, and why does he feel such an urgency about it?
How do the friends support each other in various ways? How do they show teamwork?
In what ways is life for the teens in this film like or unlike your own experiences of adolescence?
What is the role of boxing in the neighborhood shown here?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 16, 2023
- Cast : Tyler Dean Flores , Christian Vunipola , Imani Lewis
- Director : Oz Rodriguez
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Hulu
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- Run time : 75 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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