Bokser Movie Review

“Let me tell you: chemistry and boxing have a lot in common [...] They are both super dull” (Okorn, Mitja, 20:00-20:23). Now, let me tell YOU: watching Bokser, I could not agree less about boxing, though chemistry, on the other hand, I could get behind. Bokser is a Polish sports drama film directed by Mitja Okorn. It is about a promising young boxer, Jędrzej Czernecki, who flees Communist Poland in the 1980s to become a world champion alongside his wife Kasia. The film centers around the idea of unfulfilled dreams in both career and love and the sacrifices that they demand from each other. It examines how easily one can fall prey to the intoxicating and false promises of fame and wealth and forget the people who once meant everything. Though it isn’t based on a true story, it endeavors to recount a universal experience of people, specifically athletes, who escaped communist countries in the latter part of the 20th century in order to make better lives for themselves and their families. Thus, through its imaginative and dramatic narrative, Jędrzej’s story can give us historical insight into the experience of thousands of Eastern European immigrants who risked their lives for the uncertain promise of a better future.  

The film begins with Jędrzej’s childhood. One day, his father, an Olympic level boxer, gets confronted by a sinister man, and his career is mysteriously cut short. From that point onward, Jędrzej’s father, jobless and an alcoholic, becomes abusive toward his son. He forbids Jędrzej from boxing and forces him to focus on school, specifically on chemistry, because he wants Jędrzej to have a better life despite the country’s bleak circumstances. When his father dies, Jędrzej sees that he can carry out his father’s dream of being a world champion but vows to not repeat his same mistakes. With the help of his uncle, he makes it big in Poland, becoming national champion. However, he quickly realizes that there is no further opportunity for him in Poland– that his potential will be wasted if he stays. This is also when he meets his soon-to-be wife, Kasia, and the two share a truly beautiful love story before escaping to London together in quest of a new life. The rest of the story follows them as they face incredible hardship and exploitation as escaped immigrants and the costs of making it big in a corrupt industry. 

Bokser, Netflix.

I absolutely loved Jędrzej, played by Eryk Kulm, in the beginning but later grew to despise him. His downfall is unexpected and made all the more heartbreaking because of how charming and good he is before everything goes sour. Ultimately, he is not a character to be liked and deserves the consequences of his actions. On the other hand, I adored Kasia, played by Adrianna Chlebicka. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly resilient– the true heroine of the story. Other notable characters include Jędrzej’s “cool” and faithful uncle, Czesiek, and the shadowy boxing agent, Nicky Presley, who represents the archetypal baseness of the entertainment industry boss. 

I really enjoyed this movie despite not usually being a fan of sports films. As is typical for Polish films, it was tragic, bringing me close to sobbing twice. Kulm’s acting is amazing. He does an incredible job of portraying Jędrzej’s stress, grief, and anger. The fighting scenes, in all of their bloodiness and grit, were definitely not a piece of cake to film, and I think Kulm did an awesome job with them; some were truly nerve-racking to watch. Moreover, there’s some great cinematography in this film, especially when Jędrzej and Kasia are still in Poland. To me, these scenes are the warmest and most aesthetically pleasing of the film because they are veritably the best days of their lives, despite the poverty they face. Admittedly, this film is not perfect. It has its moments of awkward cinematography and cliche plot lines and characters. My least favorite part of it was the recycling of certain settings, notably the same boxing ring being used every time, But, after all, Bokser is a drama movie on Netflix, so I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece. I highly recommend this small gem the next time you’re aimlessly scrolling on Netflix for a good movie. 

Bokser, Netflix.

Bokser was released by Open Mind Production and has been available on Netflix since September 11, 2024. It is rated TV-MA and runs for 150 minutes.