There’s a pervasive myth in movies that struggle (financial, physical, or otherwise) makes you stronger, but the truth is that struggle makes you weaker. Adversity makes you more resilient and resourceful, sure, but it takes a lot more to be stronger. The Fire Inside, a biopic about American Olympic athlete Ressa Shields, understands that truth, so instead of being a romanticized rags-to-riches picture, it’s instead a sympathetic and thoughtful film about how Shields and her trainer, Jason Crutchfield, navigate the many hurdles and biases that they encounter as a Black and poverty-stricken athletic team. The film is a sports drama, but the excellent dialogue (written by award-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins) hits just as much as the boxing scenes. Unlike most sports movies, The Fire Inside’s story doesn’t stop at the crucial match—we get to see how Shield fares after all the hype and fanfare, which makes it all the more compelling and memorable.

It’s a toss-up between the boxing scenes and the back-and-forths between mentor and mentee Jason and Ressa, which mimics the boxing fights, if you think about it. Fun fact: Ice Cube was slated to play Coach Jason, but he was promptly replaced after refusing to be vaccinated. For the sake of the crew and the film overall, thank god.