• Latest
  • Trending

HAYMAKER Review: A Modest Fight Drama Sealed With A Kiss

January 26, 2021
Here’s A Movie Idea: How About THE DEADLIEST MAN ALIVE?

Here’s A Movie Idea: How About THE DEADLIEST MAN ALIVE?

February 26, 2021
Warrior – Season 2: Episode 10 “Man on the Wall” Fight For What You Believe In

Warrior – Season 2: Episode 10 “Man on the Wall” Fight For What You Believe In

February 26, 2021
FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE Is The Next Chapter Of The ‘Wu Assassins’ Saga At Netflix

FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE Is The Next Chapter Of The ‘Wu Assassins’ Saga At Netflix

February 26, 2021
RED Review: Eighteen Minutes Of Raw, Vengeful Thrills And No Excuses

RED Review: Eighteen Minutes Of Raw, Vengeful Thrills And No Excuses

February 26, 2021

Wesley Snipes Sharpening His Own ‘BLADE-Killer’

February 25, 2021
ENTER THE DRAGONS: Jason Tobin Boards Action Comedy With Gemma Arterton

ENTER THE DRAGONS: Jason Tobin Boards Action Comedy With Gemma Arterton

February 25, 2021

News Briefs: ARMY OF THE DEAD Teaser; Netflix Calls BLUFF, Spots THE MOTHERSHIP And THE KILLER; WB Nabs BLUE BEETLE Director; ECHO 8 Wraps; New Spidey Title

February 25, 2021

New AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Film Toplines Avatar Studios Slate From Original Series Creators For Nickelodeon

February 25, 2021
ACÉRÉ: Ross Peacock’s New Action Short Debuts With Five Minutes Of Thrills, Short And To The Bloody, Brutal Point

ACÉRÉ: Ross Peacock’s New Action Short Debuts With Five Minutes Of Thrills, Short And To The Bloody, Brutal Point

February 24, 2021

Your Next Viewing: HELLKAT (2021)

February 24, 2021

BULAN & PRIA TERHEBAT Trailer: Ghaz Abu Bakar’s New Action Comedy Finally Opens In Malaysia Next Month

February 24, 2021

ONE SECOND CHAMPION Trailer Dares You To Live In The Moment

February 24, 2021
Film Combat Syndicate
  • Login
  • Film Combat Syndicate
  • Forums
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Film Combat Syndicate
  • Forums
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Film Combat Syndicate
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews

HAYMAKER Review: A Modest Fight Drama Sealed With A Kiss

Lee B. Golden IIIbyLee B. Golden III
January 26, 2021
inReviews
6
0
121
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Gravitas Ventures/Kamikaze Dogfight

Having only worked on a small handful of film and TV productions, it’s with Haymaker that visual effects artist Nick Sasso officially makes the case for his starring and directing debut.

Haymaker immerses you into the tumult of a professional fighter named Nick (Sasso) whose career-ending defeat has since landed him a job as club bouncer. It’s not long before he catches an attempted rape in-progress and swoops into rescue club singer, Nomi (Nomi Ruiz), from her would-be attacker, only to get unceremoniously fired by the club’s seedy manager – a prospective move on the part of Nomi, who instead hires him as her personal bodyguard.

RelatedPosts

Warrior – Season 2: Episode 10 “Man on the Wall” Fight For What You Believe In

RED Review: Eighteen Minutes Of Raw, Vengeful Thrills And No Excuses

Your Next Viewing: HELLKAT (2021)

Their development together is already pre-conceived by the fact that Nomi feels safe around him. This is conjoined by the highs and lows of the slowly simmering shared tension between them at times, with Nomi, slowly peeling away at Nick’s rigid, tough and somewhat terse exterior, whilst still dealing with her own diffidence about “not like other girls”, and this essentially becomes a premier testament to Nick’s willingness to protect her and be there for her.

What remains to be seen, however, is the extent of Nomi’s resolve when it comes to love, having scooped Nick into the bustle and wanderlust of her high maintenance lifestyle and socialite stature, as well as her occasional drug-infused philandering. For Nick, it reaches a boiling point that eventually compels him to go his seperate ways from Nomi and return to the MMA circuit via Thailand, although given the nature of well…falling with someone, time will imminently tell how the story between these two will end.

From start to finish, what you get with Haymaker is a formidable outing by Sasso who also wrote the screenplay. The acting can he hit or miss at times, but it doesn’t subtract any from the actors’ measured performances or chemistry on screen.

Adding a bit of visual marketability to the narrative is actor D.B. Sweeney in a supporting capacity as Nick’s brother, and stuntwoman-cum-actress Zoë Bell who recurs in just a few scenes as Nick’s trainer and cornerwoman. Celebrated character actor Udo Kier who cameos as a mysterious ritzy somebody connected to Nomi’s past, a story highlight in the film that gets dismissed almost as quickly as it’s introduced – albeit much to the benefit of avoiding any overstuffing in the plot.

Fight fans expecting wall-to-wall action or anything remotely close to Boyka-levels of MMA action fanfare can expect this to be a completely different film, seeing as the action is minimal, albeit purely foundational to the story with respect to Nick’s Muay Thai training and character development in the second half. What action there is in the long haul is treated via montage moments that go from shot to shot, with techniques filmed clearly and with cohesion that don’t bite in terms of overall enjoyment.

In proximity, the same can virtually be said with respect to Nomi’s role, which is that of a transgender female. It’s explicitly stated in the film, and while far from an afterthought, it’s also not the film’s sole focus, which indeed contributes something markedly beautiful and sparse here when it comes to cinematic love stories.

Granted this film took long a while to arrive since making headway through an exclusive first look at Entertainment Weekly in 2017. For this, Sasso makes a fashionable entrance into the director’s chair with Haymaker, taking a swing with a worthwhile underdog fight drama that certainly leans more heavily into the romance arena, but still packs a bit of punch for viewers.

HAYMAKER will release in theaters and on VOD and Digital on January 29 from Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight.

Like this Article? Subscribe to Our Feed!

Lee B. Golden III
filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com | Website

Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Twitter
  • Print
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
  • Telegram
  • Skype
Tags: haymakernick sassonomi ruiz
Share2Tweet2ShareShareSend
Please login to join discussion
No Result
View All Result

Categories

  • Acquisitions and Release
  • Animation
  • books
  • Campaigns
  • Casting
  • Contests
  • Editorials
  • Exclusives
  • Festivals And Events
  • First Looks
  • Guest Articles
  • Home Releases
  • In Production
  • In-Development
  • Interviews
  • Markets
  • News
  • Now Streaming
  • OPINIONS
  • Posters
  • Reviews
  • Short Reviews
  • Shortfilms
  • Stills
  • Stream This
  • Teasers
  • Television
  • THE HIT LIST
  • Trailers
  • Watch Now
  • Webseries

Recent Posts

  • Here’s A Movie Idea: How About THE DEADLIEST MAN ALIVE?
  • Warrior – Season 2: Episode 10 “Man on the Wall” Fight For What You Believe In
  • FISTFUL OF VENGEANCE Is The Next Chapter Of The ‘Wu Assassins’ Saga At Netflix
  • RED Review: Eighteen Minutes Of Raw, Vengeful Thrills And No Excuses
  • Wesley Snipes Sharpening His Own ‘BLADE-Killer’

Recent Comments

  • Planet Prince: Clássico da “era de ouro” ganha reboot em 2021 – JBox on PLANET PRINCE 2021: Minoru Kawasaki To Reboot Toei’s 1958 Tokusatsu Classic
  • Trailer For Ryuhei Kitamura’s VERSUS Sequel Starring TAK SAKAGUCHI – Action Film Vortex on Holy Shit! Is This A VERSUS Reunion???
  • Trailer For Ryuhei Kitamura’s VERSUS Sequel Starring TAK SAKAGUCHI - M.A.A.C. on Holy Shit! Is This A VERSUS Reunion???
  • PROJECT H: Yoshi Sudarso Joins Aaron Toney's New Action-Packed Series | Film Combat Syndicate on PROJECT H: Help Aaron Toney Lead The Charge For The Next Generation Of Action Cinema
  • LOST PHOENIX Teaser Introduces A Look At James Couche's Indie Action Feature Debut | Film Combat Syndicate on LOST PHOENIX: Exclusive New Stills For James Couche’s New Independent Proof Of Concept Thriller Ahead Of Full Feature By 2021

Archives

Latest News on PopGeeks.net:

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram
Hosted By:

© 2019 Film Combat Syndicate.

No Result
View All Result
  • Film Combat Syndicate
  • Forums
  • About Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

© 2019 Film Combat Syndicate.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.