Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Clumsy but vivid boxing movie has brutal fight violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Rumble Through the Dark
What's the Story?
In RUMBLE THROUGH THE DARK, Jack "The Butcher" Boucher (Aaron Eckhart) is a beat-down, washed-up bareknuckle boxer in the Mississippi Delta who now performs in rigged matches for gambling purposes. He's deeply in debt to crime boss Big Momma Sweet (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and is on the verge of losing the childhood home he shared with his kindly adoptive mother. After earning some cash in a fight, he takes it to the gambling tables and comes away with enough to clear his debt. But on the way to pay Big Momma, he's ambushed and loses the money. Big Momma forces him to fight -- or face dire consequences. But fate lends a hand when carnival worker Annette (Bella Thorne) comes into Jack's life.
Is It Any Good?
Despite some nonsensical, coincidental plot turns, this drama still manages to compel with its vivid depiction of the Mississippi Delta and the characters living there. To put a point on it, the story device in Rumble Through the Dark that causes Jack to lose his money in the first place is pretty hard to get behind. But the way he gets it back is far, far more ridiculous, involving several unmotivated actions and wild, dumb coincidences. Where the movie comes to life is in its locale, from a ragged carnival to a gas station/soul food restaurant to the mud-soaked cage in which the final fight takes place (surrounded by snarling dogs, of course). Eckhart gives a lean, taut performance, stripping his usual intelligent malice down to an animal essence. But it's Jean-Baptiste who's the real treasure of Rumble Through the Dark. While the Oscar-nominee's customary speaking voice is a soft central-London English accent, here she adopts a menacing, Deep South murmur, delivering her poetic dialogue (including the enigmatic title) in a way that suggests wisdom crossed with ferocity. She makes it worth the price of admission.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Rumble Through the Dark's violence. How did it make you feel? How does it compare to what you might see in an action movie? Which has more impact?
How is bullying depicted? How do characters handle bullies? What are some other ways of dealing with this kind of situation?
How are drinking and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?
Why are films about fighting/boxing perennially popular?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 3, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : November 10, 2023
- Cast : Aaron Eckhart , Bella Thorne , Marianne Jean-Baptiste
- Directors : Graham Phillips , Parker Phillips
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Pansexual Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Black British Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Lionsgate , Screen Media
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, language and some sexual material
- Last updated : November 7, 2023
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