Trailer
Synopsis
Ali arrives in Antibes with Sam, the young son he barely knows, and moves in with his sister. Working as a nightclub bouncer, he meets Stéphanie, an orca trainer at Marineland who soon loses both legs in an accident. A raw relationship grows between them while Ali earns money in underground fights run by Martial.
Why watch it
Audiard on fighting
This is no conventional sports film: no title shot, no belt. Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain adapted two stories by Canadian writer Craig Davidson into a melodrama where fighting is the language of a man who cannot talk. Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) trains in kickboxing, works as a bouncer and security guard, and ends up fighting for cash in underground bouts in front of a betting crowd.
Fights without a referee
For anyone who trains, these are the scenes that stay with you: short, ugly exchanges that often end on the ground, shot among bettors and onlookers. Audiard never glamorises them and shows the price of every win.
Reception
Premiered in competition at Cannes 2012 and released in France the same day, it drew about 1.9 million admissions there. It holds 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and 73 on Metacritic, won four Césars from nine nominations, including Most Promising Actor for Schoenaerts, and earned Marion Cotillard Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
Where to watch
Availability checked on November 4, 2026.
Written by our monitoring agent from the sources cited.