THE CUT (2025) - Mark Reviews Movies

The Cut, Republic Pictures

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Review by Mark Dujsik | September 4, 2025

The Cut is the kind of sports story that forces us to re-evaluate how other, similar stories are generally told. Justin Bull's screenplay revolves around a familiar premise, to be sure. In it, a former boxing contender, who hasn't fought in years and has pretty much given up any hope of returning to the ring, is offered an unexpected chance at a title belt.

We think we know what's in store for the unnamed boxer, played by Orlando Bloom, with that established, because we have seen this type of tale before. Our protagonist surely must train to prepare himself for the fight. He'll probably have some drama with his romantic partner and de facto manager Caitlin (Caitríona Balfe), as well as some moments in which everyone around him, especially the woman who loves and supports him, will encourage him in his moments of doubt.

After all, he had a very good shot one time that was ruined by a nasty cut above his eye. If not for bad luck, his career would have gone much differently.

The broad story basically writes itself at this point, but Bull and director Sean Ellis instead focus on one particular element of preparation for the Boxer, as he's called in the credits. He has put on some weight in those years of less activity and not constantly readying himself to get in the ring for the next bout. If he's going to fight, the Boxer will have to weigh 154 pounds at a maximum. He's more than 30 pounds over that target when fight promoter Donny (Gary Beadle) shows up with the opportunity for a title shot in Las Vegas in a week.

At this point, harsh reality strikes. How is this possible? The Boxer certainly seems to think it is, but he's so determined to get another opportunity at success that his mind might not be doing the math and calculating the logistics properly. Caitlin's skeptical, but she does come up with a diet plan and exercise regimen that, under ideal circumstances, could get the Boxer to his target weight within this very short timeframe. Donny, who knows this comeback story is the kind of narrative that make him a lot of money, provides the Boxer with everything he needs to achieve his weight-loss goal, so with arrangements that are as close to ideal as imaginable, it is very possible.

Also at this point, though, we might have a bit of a revelation. If it takes this much time and effort just to get an archetypical character like Bloom's just to meet a certain weight for his big return to the ring, how do any characters like him have any time for all the other stuff we have come to expect from this kind of story? The man doesn't even have time to work on his form, which would seem very important for a boxer who hasn't had a professional fight in many years, so it's almost certain the Boxer has even less time to deal with self-doubt and whatever drama might emerge as other people wonder if he can pull off this feat.

This film is devoted to the nitty-gritty, down-and-dirty efforts of this guy making the weight, and it is difficult to watch. The process is essentially the Boxer starving himself, taking in only enough protein to keep his body functioning, and gradually reducing the amount of water he drinks until he's simply not. In between those minimal meals and brief rests, the Boxer is exercising, running on a treadmill or lifting weights in various ways, and sweating himself dry in a sauna or while wrapped up in towels.

This is all, by the way, the "safe" route to his weight loss. It works to some degree, but as a couple of days pass, the Boxer isn't matching the rate he needs to. This is especially troubling for the man, who's already forcing himself to vomit when people aren't around to notice—a dangerous habit he has apparently picked up after noticing that he started having a protruding belly in retirement. If he's going to meet the weight and finally get another chance at being a champion, the Boxer has to take even more extreme measures.

Those come from Boz (John Turturro), an expert in such techniques that are even less healthy, almost certainly aren't approved by any legitimate boxing organization, and could probably get him in some legal trouble, if not for the fact that he seems to know how to keep himself exactly out of that kind of responsibility. None of this really matters, except to describe the kind of person Boz is, because he and the Boxer are on the same wavelength at this moment. They both want to prove a point and win, and each one can get the other what he wants.

This is not, in other words, a sports story, necessarily. It is, though, a psychological study of obsession, desperation, and a man who appears to be determined to punish himself for his perceived failures. It's increasingly uncomfortable to witness—not only on account of how extreme Boz's tactics, which include assorted drugs and literal bloodletting, become, but also because the Boxer remains a willing participant in everything throughout the story.

The Boxer (in a committed performance, which includes visible weight loss on the actor's part, from Bloom) isn't being manipulated or coerced into doing any of this. While some flashbacks to the protagonist's childhood with his mother (played by Clare Dunne) during the Troubles in Ireland feel like a stretch to offer an explanation for behavior that's right in front of us, The Cut does portray that behavior and this character with painful clarity.

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