Hands of Stone (2016)
Before I even pressed play on Hands of Stone, I had no idea the film existed. Zero. And honestly, that says more about how criminally overlooked it is than it does about me. The ratings online are rough, the discourse around it is basically non-existent, and yet here I am, having genuinely enjoyed the thing from start to finish. Sometimes the best films find you when you're not looking for them.
At its heart, this is a story about two fiercely stubborn men who end up changing each other's lives in ways neither of them could have anticipated. On one side, you've got the legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán, a force of nature with fists and a personality to match. On the other, his trainer Ray Arcel, a man who'd seen it all and still found something new in this wild, electric fighter from Panama. The film builds itself around the famous "No más. No surrender." mantra that defined Durán's career, and the push and pull between those two ideas gives the whole thing its dramatic spine.
What really saves Hands of Stone from its modest reputation is the acting, full stop. Edgar Ramírez is fantastic in the lead role. He captures Durán's explosive, unpredictable energy without ever making him feel like a caricature. You believe every moment of the rage, the charm, the vulnerability. But the real revelation for me was Robert De Niro as Arcel. Look, I know De Niro takes a lot of stick these days for some of his choices (and some of it's fair, I've sat through Little Fockers), but put him in the right material and he reminds you exactly who he is. He's deeply grounded here, understated in all the right ways, and it's one of his better recent performances by some distance. He's ably supported by the always-underrated John Turturro, and Ana de Armas puts in a really solid turn that makes you care about the people outside the ropes just as much as those inside them. It's a genuinely decent ensemble.
I'll be straight with you: this is absolutely a boxing fan's film. I'm a massive sucker for the genre. Raging Bull, Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, films like that sit very close to my heart, and if you share that affection for stories set in and around the squared circle, you're going to find a lot to love here. The sweat, the strategy, the drama of two people staring each other down with everything on the line, director Jonathan Jakubowicz clearly understands what makes these stories tick.
That said, I won't pretend Hands of Stone is up there with those undisputed classics. The script can be a bit conventional in places, and the pacing stumbles noticeably in the middle section, the film losing a step or two when it should be building momentum. There are stretches where you feel the familiarity of the biopic formula pressing in from all sides. It hits some of the expected beats a touch too neatly, and a tighter edit in the second act would have done it real favours.
But here's the thing: I went in with no expectations and came out genuinely entertained, moved in parts, and more than a little impressed by the performances carrying it. That's not nothing. That's actually quite a lot. If you've written this one off based on its online reputation, I'd encourage you to give it a second look. It's a hard-hitting sports biopic that punches well above what the aggregate score would have you believe.
Three and a half stars.
Rating: ★★★½ | Year: 2016 | Watched: 2026-06-19
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Howdy Amazon Channel
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Physical: Amazon US
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