Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy), an ex-U.S. Marine, returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh where he asks his father, on-the-wagon alcoholic and former boxer Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte), to train him for competition in a high-stakes MMA tournament. Meanwhile, Tommy's older brother, Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), a high school physics teacher and a former UFC fighter, facing the prospect of foreclosure of his home, signs up for the same competition. Because of family history, Tommy harbours deep resentment towards Brendan. At the tournament, things come to a head.
This movie, which came out in 2011, is deep. There are three ways to go about taking it in: literally, metaphorically, and spiritually.
On a literal level, it's a sports drama; on a metaphorical level, it tells about a family facing and working out their demons. But on a spiritual level, it's about the human condition (the mind), it's about consciousness-fracture ("hell") transforming into unity-consciousness ("heaven").
Spiritually, Brendan represents our subconscious (the female aspect), Tommy represents our waking conscious and ego (the male aspect), and Paddy represents our conscious outlook or state of being (i.e. either earthly paradise or hellish nightmare).
Paddy is a barometer of our state of being, a reflection of how well or badly Brendan and Tommy are doing individually and in relation to each other. At the start of the movie, when Brendan and Tommy are separated (fractured), he is shown as anxious and is suffering (i.e. in a state of "hell"). At one point, following a particular emotional confrontation with Tommy, he even falls off the wagon.
During the tournament, both Brendan and Tommy defeat all their opponents, which represent our negative thoughts and emotions. Eventually, when Brendan has overcome Tommy in the tournament's final round and they leave the octagon literally as one with Brendan supporting an injured Tommy with his arm (symbolizing unity), Paddy cracks a crooked smile. He's finally at peace.
Tommy, Brendan, and Paddy are what are going on inside your head.
SORQ score: 4
(Runtime: 140 minutes)
