Although a tad overly long, this Mildred Burke biopic gives great insight into a lady wrestler who has been nearly lost to history.
PLOT: In a time when pro wrestling for women was illegal all over the United States, a small town single mother embraces the danger as she dominates America’s most masculine sport and becomes the first million dollar female athlete in history.
REVIEW: Wrestling biopics prove that what happens behind the scenes in the industry, is often more entertaining than what happens between the ropes. While frequently labeled as “fake”, there’s plenty that goes into who gets the 1,2,3. The politics of who wins being settled in a real “shoot” match feels like something that only cinema can provide. Yet this was a reality back in the day, and Queen of the Ring puts these stories at the forefront, giving us an insight into the squared circle that often goes unspoken.
Emily Bett Rickards stars as Mildred Burke, a pioneer in professional wrestling. She wrestled at a time when lady wrestlers weren’t even allowed to wrestle each other in some states, and was able to evolve the sport. She meets promoter/wrestler Billy Wolfe (Lucas), who sees money to be made with these lady wrestlers. Queen of the Ring is the story of how Mildred was able to evolve the business and the difficult path in getting there. Wrestling is treated as overly important, but that’s because the story is told through Mildred, who holds the sport in such high regard. Since we don’t really see other stuff from the era, it can be a bit myopic, with Professional Wrestling being treated with such importance.
Rickards is extremely impressive in the lead role, clearly putting in the work as Burke. She packed on some muscle and looks quite good in the ring. It’s hard to not look awkward in the squared circle yet she handles herself quite well. I’m sure some could be attributed to how Ash Avildsen shot the matches, but the reality is never broken. It probably helps that wrestlers like Toni Storm, Kamille Brickhouse, and Naomi are part of the cast. Picking brains like those can go a long way. Josh Lucas‘ Billy goes from hero to villain in the story and does a great job with it. He manages to be absolutely despicable, without feeling like a cartoon character.
Outside of Rickards and Lucas, no one else gets a ton of focus. Walton Goggins is great in his limited time, but he’s not a prominent figure here. There’s a subplot involving Tyler Posey‘s G. Bill professing his love for Mildred, but it feels a bit half-baked. Just like the Mae Young storyline, where her sexuality is hinted at, but it feels like there was more left on the table there. Which is too bad as Young deserves a film of her own. There’s a reason she’s considered one of the greatest women’s wrestlers to ever live. Francesca Eastwood does a good job in the role, and I’d love to see an offshoot that focuses on her version of Young. We need more wrestling movies! Because as is, Young is underserved.
Any film based on professional wrestling is going to be judged based on what happens between those ropes. No matter how good your story is, bad wrestling can completely no-sell the film. Thankfully, the wrestling here is quite competent and gets you to invest. The shoot angle of some of the matches adds to the reality and allows the drama to ramp up without feeling forced or over the top. They aren’t presented in an overly showy way with massive unbroken takes, instead just focusing on the emotional investment: HOW should the audience be feeling in this match? And they clearly have a deep love for the sport because they nail it. But this is wrestling in the 1950’s so it’s a very different style than people are used to in modern day. As such, expectations should be adjusted to not expect any highflying.
Despite its long runtime, I enjoyed my time with Queen of the Ring. The story would have probably been best served as a limited series as it feels like there’s so much more to tell in this world. I was completely invested in Mildred Burke’s story and it has a very feel good quality to it, despite its darkness. This doesn’t go to Iron Claw levels of depression, and doesn’t put the industry through such a dirty lens like The Wrestler. Instead, Queen of the Ring focuses on the good: how women were able to break down barriers and find their places in the wrestling world that still lasts to this day.
QUEEN OF THE RING RELEASES TO THEATERS ON MARCH 7TH, 2025.
