REVIEW: Queen Of The Ring | Movie 2025

"A knockout biopic that slams heart, grit, and girl-power straight into the spotlight."

Every so often a biopic comes along that doesn’t just tell you someone’s story, but makes you feel the fight, the fire, and the cost behind it. Queen of the Ring is one of those films. It takes the true story of Mildred “Millie” Burke, the first woman to truly break into professional wrestling on her own terms, and turns it into a rousing, emotional, and unforgettable piece of cinema.

Emily Bett Rickards delivers the performance of her career as Millie. She’s magnetic in the ring - tough, unshakable, and commanding - but it’s the off-stage moments that make her portrayal remarkable. We see her tenderness, her exhaustion, her doubts, and the way she shoulders the weight of being a woman in a man’s sport. Rickards makes Millie both a legend and a human being, and it’s impossible not to root for her every step of the way.

The film’s world-building is impeccable. From the smoky, sweat-soaked wrestling halls to the diners and cramped living rooms of Depression-era America, the production immerses you fully in its time and place. Every costume, every set, every look across a crowded room feels authentic. The wrestling matches themselves are staged with both spectacle and grit - you feel the impact of every slam, but you also see the toll it takes on Millie’s body and spirit.

What truly elevates Queen of the Ring is its thematic weight. This isn’t just a sports drama - it’s a story about resilience, sacrifice, and fighting to be seen in a world determined to keep women silent and side-lined. It highlights how Millie’s struggle wasn’t only physical but social, political, and deeply personal. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the costs of ambition, but it frames Millie not as a victim of circumstance but as a trailblazer who carved her own place in history.

Yes, it still follows some familiar beats of the biopic structure, but when the emotional core is this strong, those beats don’t feel predictable - they feel earned. The final act, in particular, delivers a crescendo of triumph and heartbreak that leaves you shaken, inspired, and grateful that Burke’s legacy is finally being given the spotlight it deserves.

Verdict: Queen of the Ring isn’t just a great sports film - it’s a great film, full stop. With a knockout central performance, rich period detail, and an emotional wallop that lingers long after the credits, this is a story that demanded to be told, and it’s been told with heart, respect, and fire. It's powerful, inspiring, and absolutely unmissable.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

QUEEN OF THE RING will be available at UK Cinemas from 19th September

and Digital Download from 13th October

FILM DETAILS

• UK Theatrical Release: 19th September 2025

• TL;DR: An extraordinary, true-life tale that follows Mildred Burke, the legendary professional wrestler and single mom who defied incredible odds to become the first million-dollar female athlete and longest reigning champion at a time when the sport was banned across most of America.

• Director: Ash Avildsen

• Cast: Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey, Francesca Eastwood, Cara Buono, Deborah Ann Woll, Damaris Lewis, with Gavin Casalegno and Walton Goggins

• Genres: Docudrama

• Run time: 133 Minutes

• Cert: 15