When it comes to boxing dramas, we’ve seen time and again the underdog tale of a fighter, often down on their luck, rising to success thanks to some effective coaching that also helps turn their lives around. Arguably having been popularized with the Rocky movies, it’s also been effectively tackled by the likes of Million Dollar Baby and Southpaw.

On the flip side are the dramas in which we follow former stars who, through a series of misfortunes, no longer have the same success they once did. This is where Vincent Grashaw comes in with Bang Bang, a searing look at the boxing industry and the dangerous generational cycle to come from those within it.

Tim Blake Nelson leads the film as Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski, a former heavyweight boxing champion in Detroit now living a life of contempt and resentment after missing out on fighting his biggest opponent in the past. When his estranged grandson comes to live with him, Bang gets inspired to train him, though with his motivations questioned at every turn.

Also starring Speed‘s Glenn Plummer, The Departed‘s Kevin Corrigan and Andrew Liner, Bang Bang strives for something closer to The Wrestler with its look at its industry, complete with unflinching looks at the long-term dangers of boxing. But where that film had a gripping storyline with a character we want to root for, Bang Bang almost feels like the anтιтhesis to this.

Bang Bang’s Story Is Refreshingly Candid, If Quite ScattersH๏τ

Bringing together an estranged family member with a former success story to have the latter confront their past is a well-worn trope. It’s really down to how a filmmaker plays with this structure that can make or break a film like this, and with Bang Bang, writer Will Janowitz (Train Dreams) gets some mileage out of it.

Bang’s seemingly aimless journeys through the streets of Detroit offer some poignant reflections, both on the current state of the Michigan city and the тιтular character’s life. In particular, it’s refreshing how direct he and many characters are in acknowledging the deck is stacked against them, whether it’s corrupt politicians profiting off the poor or new outlooks on life amid fights with cancer.

Bang Bang also shines in its exploration of generational trauma and the vicious cycle of anger. Seeing Nelson’s character try to inspire his grandson with the same abusive methods his father did to him and his twin brother is haunting, particularly once we learn what happened with the brothers in the past.

But despite many of its positive parts, the movie is also marred by a variety of flaws. For starters, Bang’s brashness and amoral personality makes it hard to want to root for him or his grandson, and fully embrace any hints of character change.

What’s more, Bang Bang‘s plot feels far too scattersH๏τ in how it progresses. One of its subplots is that of Andrew Liner’s Julian having to work for a city cleanup crew as part of community service, where he has something of a mentor figure in the form of Dylan, which frustrates Bang, feeling it to be against prototypical self-supporting male behavior.

Though clearly intended to serve as something of a contrast for Julian’s two different potential paths, the inconsistency with which we jump back to this dynamic hurts the film’s streamlined focus. Even though a couple of the parts factor into the mid-movie training montage, the majority of them feel so brief they could have been cut entirely and affected nothing.

Grashaw’s Direction Is Appropriately Gritty & Energetic

Whether tackling the heartbreaking reality of school violence with 2017’s And Then I Go or the generational trauma behind the overlooked Robert Patrick-starring horror film What Josiah Saw, Grashaw has frequently showcased a grounded and gritty approach to his visual palette. Coming into Bang Bang, however, the filmmaker not only pulls from his familiar bag of tricks, but includes a few new stylistic flourishes. When it comes to the handful of fight and training scenes in the film, Grashaw brings an appropriately energetic and handheld approach to the film’s style. This also proves effective for some of the movie’s more chaotic early scenes as we learn who Nelson’s тιтular character is, nicely tapping into the somewhat unhinged mentality of Bang.

Grashaw also nicely contrasts the film with some charmingly softer visuals for some of the movie’s quieter moments. One scene, in which Bang and Erica Gimpel’s Sharon reflect on their past together, almost makes me wish there were more like it to contrast the darkness of the film.

Nelson & Gimpel Anchor A Solidly Well-Rounded Cast

One thing that has remained consistent throughout Grashaw’s filmography is his ability to get some magnificent performances from his stars, and the Bang Bang cast proves no different. Despite his character being largely detestable, Nelson marvelously balances a dark sense of humor with the simmering generational rage of Bang.

But the other major standout from the cast is Erica Gimpel as Sharon. Much like Nelson, the God Friended Me vet makes her character feel so lived-in that every moment of vulnerability feels just as real as her moments of strength. Her effortlessly casual demeanor makes her the most interesting figure of the cast.

It’s just a shame that Bang Bang‘s cast has to do so much of the heavy lifting with the movie’s material. Janowitz’s script has lots of potential to break free from its trope-filled genre, and has moments of doing so, but if it weren’t for the great performances at the forefront, it’d be easy to become disillusioned with the darker parts of the film.

Bang Bang is now playing in select theaters.