REVIEW: ‘Boxer’ Is Utterly Cliché, But The Cliché’s Effective

Boxer (2024) (Bokser) is as predictable as it gets. In this Polish-language Netflix Original directed by Mitja Okorn, Jęorzej (Eryk Kulm) and Kasia (Adrianna Chlebicka) fall in love and dream of escaping Communist Poland for a better life. Jęorzej’s happiest childhood memory is watching his dad succeed at boxing. But his father betrayed the Party and spent the rest of his numbered days toiling in a mine to make a living. When Jęorzej grew up, he became a champion boxer too. But when he met Kasia and they fell in love, Jęorzej decided the only way to succeed in life and in boxing truly was to defect to England.

Every single thing about Boxer (2024) is trite. From Jęorzej’s down-and-out upbringing to the trials and tribulations of being an immigrant to the moral dilemmas he has to face to build a career and support his family to the “Fortunate Son” needle drop in the third act training montage, to the ways he falters in the fourth act and tragedy ensues, down to the way everything resolves without an iota of true reconciliation from Jęorzej’s. It’s aggravatingly expected every step of the way.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, though. Kulm and Chlebicka put in solid performances. As does Eryk Lubos as Jęorzej’s uncle and trainer, Czesiek. Kulm goes through every stage of emotion imaginable and performs each one with distinction. Chlebicka is relegated to the classic wife role, having her dreams of living a fulfilled life as a chemist dashed the second they leave Poland.

Despite having little to work with, it’s nice to see some range from Chlebicka. She played a dramatically different role as a model and teacher across Netflix’s Squared Love rom-com trilogy. She looks and feels completely different in this dramatic role, and hopefully, it bodes well for her burgeoning career to continue seeing her in more distinct and prominent roles to come.

More than anything, Boxer (2024) positions itself as a tribute to the harrowing commitment Polish athletes made to themselves and their families when they used their sports to escape the political and economic turmoil of 1980s Poland and the Soviet Union at large. When the movie reminds you of this theme, it’s at its most successful. Unfortunately, it’s really only reminding you during the opening credits, the escape, and the closing credits. The movie stops feeling like an immigrant story for most of the second half, forgetting to remind us that Jęorzej and Kasia’s escape to England came with enormous consequences.

The boxing is decent. There are some thrilling bouts here and there. The cinematography is a tad inconsistent. Sometimes you’ll get slow-mo shots, other times you’ll suddenly get an x-ray shot of a broken bone. Kulm is often making a weird face, so it’s not always particularly attractive.

But whenever Czesiek is involved, the emotional weight of the movie is elevated. The opening act slightly confuses how the audience is meant to respond to Czesiek and whether he’s supposed to be liked. But by the end, he is very clearly the movie’s emotional core. He’s often a better reminder of what Jęorzej is fighting for than anything else, given the dynamism of his character and his journey.

Unfortunately, Boxer (2024) is very predictable and, as a result, not particularly entertaining. It follows the same exact beats as basically every boxing movie before it. The obvious twists and turns and the frustrating moral abdication Jęorzej experiences are so standard for the genre that they nearly take away all of the entertainment value.

The best thing Boxer (2024)  has going is that underneath the predictable formula, there still is an interesting story about immigration and a harrowing escape from Communist Poland. Despite the movie doing almost everything it can to help you forget about that for much of the bloated run time, you’ll be reminded of what Jęorzej and Kasia were fighting for by the end. Even if Jęorzej does a pretty poor job fighting for it and Kasia is rarely given the chance.

Boxer (2024) is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.