Written by Oscar-winning director of ‘Moonlight,’ Barry Jenkins and directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer of ‘Mudbound,’ Rachel Morrison, ‘The Fire Inside’ is a biographical drama film on two-time Olympic boxing gold medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields’ journey to fight in the Olympics. The film stars Ryan Destiny in its leading role of Shields.

‘The Fire Inside’ world premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival under the Special Presentations program.

Starring the film alongside Destiny are Oscar-nominated actor Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi, and De’Adre Aziza.

Release Date

Directed by Rachel Morrison, ‘The Fire Inside’ opens in US theaters on December 25, 2024.

Synopsis

‘The Fire Inside’ is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.

Reviews

Robert Daniels in a Screen International review praised the film, writing, “The Fire Inside, in a deceptively brilliant twist on the inspirational sports film, is a humanist story, whose every hard hitting beat and aching emotion is also truly earned.”

Benjamin Lee in a Guardian review gave the film a 4/5 score, writing, “It’s a film that inspires and then enrages and gives its two central performers a tough emotional rollercoaster to ride, going all the way up before they come all the way down.”

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for ‘The Fire Inside.’