Uppercut (film)

Uppercut
Directed byTorsten Ruether
Written byTorsten Ruether
Produced byTorsten Ruether
Luise Grossman
Matthew Berkowitz
Josef Brandmaier
Stephen Castor
Starring
Cinematography
  • Gevorg Gev Juguryan
  • Mattia Palombi
Edited bySavannah Bayse
Music byBrass Against
Production
companies
  • Hello Moment Productions
  • Good Weird Films
  • How Ru? Entertainment
  • Huffman Creative
  • Its Just Us Productions
  • Penned Pictures
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 23, 2025 (2025-01-23) (Germany)
  • February 28, 2025 (2025-02-28) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountriesUnited States
Germany
LanguageEnglish

Uppercut is a 2025 thriller drama film written and directed by Torsten Ruether and starring Ving Rhames, Luiii, Jordan E. Cooper and Joanna Cassidy. It is an English language remake of Ruether’s 2021 German film Leberhaken.[2][3]

Plot

Cast

Production

Filming occurred during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike; production on the film was allowed to continue during the strike due to an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA.[4][5]

In May 2024, it was announced that Grindstone Entertainment Group acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[6]

Release

The film was released in theaters on February 28, 2025.[7] The film was also released on demand and digital platforms the same day.[8]

Reception

The film has a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews.[9] Sheila O’Malley of RogerEbert.com awarded the film one and a half stars out of four.[10] Jeff Ewing of Collider rated the film a 4 out of 10.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Uppercut (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 24, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
  2. ^ Roxborough, Scott (May 23, 2024). "Grindstone Takes Ving Rhames' Boxing Movie 'Uppercut' for North America". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Brooks, Nicholas (March 2, 2025). ""Boxing Is the Perfect Platform": Ving Rhames & Luiii On Uppercut's Themes". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  4. ^ Massoto, Erick (November 21, 2024). "Ving Rhames Goes Rocky Balboa in 'Uppercut' Trailer [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  5. ^ Roxborough, Scott (September 14, 2023). "An Oldenburg Fairy Tale: How 'Uppercut' Director Torsten Ruether Adapted His Own German Film and Got Ving Rhames to Star". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  6. ^ Haring, Bruce (May 25, 2024). "Ving Rhames Boxing Thriller 'Uppercut' Has North America Rights Acquired By Grindstone Entertainment Group". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (February 27, 2025). "Ving Rhames on Returning to His Indie Roots With Boxing Drama 'Uppercut'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  8. ^ DeVore, Britta (February 27, 2025). "'Uppercut' Sneak Peek Teases Ving Rhames' Return To the Ring [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "Uppercut". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  10. ^ O’Malley, Sheila (February 28, 2025). "Uppercut". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  11. ^ Ewing, Jeff (February 27, 2025). "'Uppercut' Review: A Boxing Character Study That Goes Down in the First Round". Collider. Retrieved November 3, 2025.