Sports have come a long way in terms of recognizing and representing the LGBTQ community. But we’ve seen that in some areas, particularly combat sports, there’s still a long way to go. And that brings us to Punch, a new boxing drama that deals with a gay fighter who must balance acceptance of his identity with the pursuit of his professional career.
The film stars Jordan Oosterhof as Jim Richardson, with Tim Roth as his demanding and alcoholic father, Stan. As Stan trains Jim hard for his first fight, we see that this father/son relationship is solid as long as they stick to business. But when Jim meets and falls for Whetu (Conan Hayes), it throws everything into upheaval as he deals with isolation, identity, alcoholism, and homophobia.
New Zealand filmmaker Welby Ings is behind the camera and also wrote the script.
Punch opens in theaters and digital on March 10th, with DVD arriving on April 11th.
Jim is a promising teenage boxer, training under the watch of his demanding and alcoholic father. When Jim develops a relationship with a male classmate, the two are forced to navigate isolation, homophobia, and the brutality of small-town life. As Jim discovers what it means to be gay, he realizes how little strength has to do with heroism.
