5 wrestling movies to watch after Cassandro

5 wrestling movies to watch after Cassandro

Several of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood today are professional wrestlers. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista have had great mainstream success in film and television in recent years. Even before they made the jump from the squared circle to the silver screen, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, and Jesse Ventura were paving the way and appearing in numerous memorable roles.

But in terms of storytelling, the path seems to be going more and more in both directions as the years go by; "GLOW," "Heels," "Nacho Libre," and "Total Divas" are just a few examples of stories taken out of wrestling and shown through the entertainment industry lens GLOW," "Heels," "Nacho Libre," and "Total Divas" are just a few examples of stories taken from wrestling and shown through the entertainment industry lens. Currently, the lucha libre biopic "Cassandro" is available on Prime Video and tells the story of one of the most prolific luchadors in Mexican wrestling history.

After watching the life and career story of the famous Cassandro El Exotico unfold in this acclaimed film by filmmaker Roger Ross Williams, you will most likely want to learn more about such a story. If you're not ready to channel WWE or AEW yet, here are some suggestions for wrestling movies to stream online.

Darren Aronofsky's award-winning film "The Wrestler," about fictional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), tells the story of many wrestlers long before his time, in this 2008 film, long after wrestling's heyday has passed into the distance, The film follows Randy as he tries to find his place in the world. When the opportunity arises to relive his glory days with one of his former rivals, he tries harder than ever to get back into peak physical condition.

However, his deteriorating health forces him to sit out due to injury and he is advised never to wrestle again or he may die. As his professional and personal life begin to fall apart, this broken man must decide between the dregs of the real world and the love and respect he will gain in the ring as "The Ram," even if it is his last job.

It's a tragic tale that is unfortunately all too common for wrestling veterans. Both Aronofsky and Rourke capture this in a harrowing and poignant way that fans and non-fans alike will understand.

Rent/Buy on Apple or YouTube

Fighting With My Family, on the other hand, is a more moving and uplifting story. Starring a stellar cast of Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, and up-and-comer Florence Pugh, the film follows former WWE superstar Paige (aka AEW Women's World Champion Saraya) and her family as they prepare the next generation to enter the family business of wrestling The film depicts the life of former WWE superstar Paige (aka Saraya, the AEW Women's World Champion) and her family as they prepare for the next generation to enter the family business of wrestling. As Paige succeeds and finds a clear path to WWE, her brother Zach meets a much more difficult journey through the indies.

Being a co-production between WWE Studios, The Rock, and filmmaker Stephen Merchant, many expected that the wrestling promotion would use this opportunity as a beautified commercial. And like many biopics (or films based on essentially true stories), Fighting With My Family takes a few liberties with real-life events and tweaks them to aid in storytelling. For example, Vaughn's character is actually a composite of several different people, and Paige did not meet The Rock until much later in her career. But the film contains a solid heart that reminds us how wonderful it is to pursue our dreams, no matter how difficult they may be.

Rent/Buy on Amazon or Apple

Back in the day, those in the wrestling industry worked very hard to maintain the illusion that their art form was more of a sporting contest. In other words, fans did not know that strikes were not legitimate and that holds did not really knock anyone out. This was called "keeping the cayfabe." "Calling wrestling 'fake' is still frowned upon, but the idea of defending the keifabe is almost an outdated concept. The majority of the audience knows that wrestling is more like a choreographed performance than a match. That said, before audiences got wise to the business, it was quite heartening to see the curtain pulled back on the documentary Beyond The Mat.

For many wrestling fans today, this film by Barry W. Blaustein essentially revealed the truth about Santa Claus. By profiling three wrestlers at different stages of their careers, the film attempted to get into the wrestlers' psyche and learn why they were into wrestling: Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Throughout the document, the people behind the personas are revealed, and the audience learns how wrestling can affect every aspect of a person's life.

Touted as "the movie Vince McMahon doesn't want you to see," the documentary offered fans unprecedented access to this world. It is still hailed as one of the best wrestling documentaries ever made.

Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple

Not limited to wrestling alone, the 1999 biopic "Man on the Moon," starring Jim Carrey, chronicles the life of revolutionary performer and WWE Hall of Famer Andy Kaufman The film is a biography of the revolutionary performer and WWE Hall of Famer Andy Kaufman. The prolific comedian is probably best known for his work on Saturday Night Live as Latka Graves in the classic sitcom Taxi, but he also helped bring entertainment to "sports entertainment."

As depicted in the film, Kaufman decided to enter the world of professional wrestling after being a lifelong fan. He was fascinated by theatricality and cayfabe, always playing with the two concepts in his art. But when he went to Memphis, Tennessee to work with Jerry "The King" Lawler (after Vince McMahon Sr. and WWE passed on the sale), he was more than ever before, offering matches to women and eating The King's signature pile driver. He began to turn his mainstream attention to wrestling. The pair's appearance on Late Night With David Letterman also remains one of the most memorable moments in television history.

Even though wrestling is only a small part of his story, it is a very important part of Andy Kaufman's legacy. That is why this Milos Forman-directed film certainly deserves to be on the list.

Rent/Buy on Amazon or Apple

Aside from Andy Kaufman, David Arquette may be the most prominent figure to come out of Hollywood into the wrestling ring. The star of "Scream," "Never Been Kissed," and "Eight Legs Freaks" got his start in wrestling thanks to his role in the 2000 film "Ready to Rumble" (also a must-see). However, WCW's creative forces decided to take the promotion of the film to the next level by giving the actor the World Heavyweight Championship. The decision was heavily criticized by fans and actively disliked for years afterward, and Arquette became an industry joke for generations to come.

In reality, however, Arquette was a wrestling fan and opposed the title fight from the start. And a few years after his first steps into the wrestling world, he decided to prove that he actually respected and honored wrestling. To do so, he had to train properly as a wrestler and pay his fair share of compensation. His journey of redemption is depicted in the documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette.

In the process of gaining respect from fans and the wrestling industry, Arquette studied all forms of wrestling and appeared on various independent shows while maintaining a regular career as an actor. He also dabbled in hardcore wrestling, once nearly dying in the ring during a match. But through the ups and downs, he has gone from punchline to powerhouse to fan favorite competitor. One day, we hope he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with Kaufman and other wrestling legends.

Streaming on Hulu

.

Categories