Day of the Fight (2023 film)

Day of the Fight is a 2023 American drama film written and directed by Jack Huston in his directorial debut. It was inspired by and named after Day of the Fight, Stanley Kubrick's famed 1951 short-subject documentary.^[3] It stars Michael Pitt, Nicolette Robinson, John Magaro, Steve Buscemi, Ron Perlman, and Joe Pesci. It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2023.

Day of the Fight
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jack Huston
Written by	Jack Huston
Produced by	Josh Porter Jack Huston Jai Stefan Emma Tillinger Koskoff Colleen Camp
Starring	Michael Pitt Nicolette Robinson John Magaro Steve Buscemi Ron Perlman Joe Pesci
Cinematography	Peter Simonite
Edited by	Joe Klotz
Music by	Ben MacDiarmid
Production companies	Cysa Films Akrasia Films Shrink Media First Love Films
Distributed by	Falling Forward Films
Release dates	September 5, 2023 (2023-09-05) (Venice) November 15, 2024 (2024-11-15) (limited)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$78,360[1][2]

Plot

Follows a once-renowned boxer (Pitt) as he takes a redemptive journey through his past and present, on the day of his first fight since he left prison.

Cast

• Michael Pitt as Mike Flannigan
• Ron Perlman as Stevie
• Nicolette Robinson as Jessica
• John Magaro as Patrick
• Joe Pesci as Tony, Mike's father
• Steve Buscemi as Colm, Mike's uncle
• Anatol Yusef as Saul

Production

In December 2022, it was announced that production on the film had begun in New York and New Jersey.^[4] In June 2023, it was announced that principal photography had been completed.^[5]

The cast features several actors who starred in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire previously, including Pitt, Buscemi, and Yusef, as well as Huston himself who played disfigured World War I veteran Richard Harrow.

Release

In 2024, Falling Forward Films had acquired the U.S. distribution rights, and set a limited release date for November 15, followed shortly by a nationwide expansion, with intent on qualifying for the upcoming awards season.^[6] The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2023.^[7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 48 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "An old-fashioned slugger story that leans heavily on its arresting visual style, Day of the Fight marks a bruising and vivid directorial debut for Jack Huston."^[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[9]

Guy Lodge of Variety gave the film a positive review despite noting that "the cliché count edges into drinking-game territory". He praised the cinematography, writing, "The light and shade here is all in Peter Simonite's splendid, inky-shadowed monochrome lensing; Huston's visual sense outweighs his screenwriting."^[3]