Movie review
February 14, 2019 · 108 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Fighting with My Family.
Woke representation / casting
British actors cast in roles that match the real English working-class wrestling family and locations exactly; fits the premise and source material with no visible signaling or mismatches.
Woke political dialogue
Mostly everyday family arguments and crude wrestling banter typical of the sport; no activist speeches or ideological lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Follows a determined young woman entering male-dominated wrestling based on true events; her success is tied to hard work and being herself, with only light background notice of gender in the sport.
Western institutional / cultural critique
No modern activist framing of patriarchy, capitalism, or Western norms; the family and wrestling world are shown as rough but loving and full of opportunity.
Review
Fighting with My Family is a 2019 biographical comedy-drama about a working-class English wrestling family in Norwich. Their daughter Saraya and son Zak get a rare WWE tryout chance. Only Saraya advances, so she leaves home to train hard, face tough coaches, and deal with her brother's hurt feelings while proving her unique style can make her a star. The story focuses on family loyalty, personal grit, and chasing big dreams in a rough sport, with light emphasis on a young woman succeeding through effort rather than any heavy social messaging.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant | Stays faithful to the real people and documented events from the source documentary without ideological rewrites.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No recorded right-leaning or anti-woke complaints accusing the film of pushing DEI, identity politics, or social-justice messaging.
Creator track record context
Stephen Merchant has spoken against cancel culture and left-wing limits on comedy; Dwayne Johnson has criticized excessive woke messaging in films; other producers show minimal activist patterns overall.
Production
