Slow Horses Star Jack Lowden Was In Dwayne Johnson's Most Underrated Movie
by Joe Roberts · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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We just saw Jack Lowden wrap up another successful season of "Slow Horses," in which his character, River Cartwright, reunited with a former love. It was one of the most surprisingly tender installments of the best spy show on TV, with "Slow Horses" Season 6 immediately improving on Season 5 by embracing a darker overall tone (while still maintaining the series' signature sardonic wit). Those who particularly enjoyed this latest season might be intrigued to know that Lowden previously starred in a film that similarly combined a heartfelt emotional core with a dry wit: "Fighting with My Family."
To be clear, this 2019 biographical sports dramedy is nothing like "Slow Horses" in terms of its genre and tone. But it does mix naturalistic drama, action, humor, and heart in a similar fashion to the spy series. That's not too surprising considering the film was written and directed by Stephen Merchant and "Slow Horses" was overseen for its first five seasons by Will Smith, both of whom came up in the British comedy scene of the early 2000s. Merchant is, of course, best known for co-creating "The Office" with Ricky Gervais, while Smith was a writer for, and starred in, the BBC sitcom "The Thick of It."
Another thing tying these two projects together (aside from both being set in England) is Lowden, who delivers one of his most underrated performances in "Fighting with My Family." It also has The Rock in it, if that sort of thing appeals. In fact, the film is also one of Dwayne Johnson's most underrated movies, even if he isn't actually in it all that much.
Fighting with My Family is based on a true story that captured The Rock's attention
"Fighting with My Family" is based on the 2012 documentary "The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family." The film saw director Max Fisher spend a year following the Knight family of Norfolk, who run the World Association of Wrestling from their suburban home. The doc particularly focused on the Knights' daughter, Saraya-Jade Bevis, as she tried out for the WWE. That story, it seems, caught the attention of Dwayne Johnson, who teamed up with Stephen Merchant to give Bevis' story the big screen treatment.
In 2019, Merchant spoke to /Film about "Fighting with My Family," recalling how he'd acted with Johnson in 2010's "Tooth Fairy" and had "got along well" with the wrestler turned actor. The pair evidently stayed in touch, which ultimately led to their collaboration on "Fighting with My Family," which Johnson executive produced and appeared in. "I have no particular interest in wrestling and didn't know anything about it," admitted Merchant. "[Johnson] happened to see a documentary while in Britain filming 'Fast & Furious 6.'" This was the genesis of "Fighting with My Family." After Johnson became acquainted with Bevis via WWE, he reached out to Merchant to write and direct. The comedian accepted.
The film he wrote similarly follows the career of English wrestler Saraya Knight/Paige, played by Florence Pugh, as she works towards a career in WWE. Jack Lowden plays her brother, Zak Knight/Zak Zodiac, who has similar dreams of making it to the big leagues. Only Saraya earns a spot in the WWE's training program, however, and she is forced to leave her family behind to pursue her dreams.
Fighting with My Family was a modest success that's well worth a watch today
As /Film's Ethan Anderton wrote in his review, "Fighting with My Family" gives WWE fans the movie they deserve. But this is more than a wrestling movie. It's also a heartfelt comedy drama that boasts great performances from both Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden. "Slow Horses" fans should get a kick out of seeing Lowden as Zak Knight. Whereas River Cartwright is the upper-middle class son of a former MI5 head, Zak is a determined youngster who grew up in a council house. It's interesting to see how the Scottish actor renders the latter in comparison to his other best-known role.
Lena Headey and Nick Frost play Zak and Saraya's parents Ricky and Julia Knight, and both of them have a great time in their roles. Then there is, of course, The Rock, who shows up a couple times throughout the movie and is, well, The Rock. Beyond his cameos, though, Dwayne Johnson was invested in the story and did a great job shepherding the project to fruition — as evidenced by the critical response.
"Fighting with My Family" earned a 93% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a $41.5 million take at the global box office on an $11 million budget. All in all, then, it was a success, even if it didn't become a major hit with a massive cultural impact. Now, Lowden is said to be one of five finalists to become the new James Bond, so if you want to acquaint yourself with the actor's filmography ahead of what might be the biggest moment of his career, "Fighting with My Family" is a great place to start. The film is available to watch for free on Tubi.