Knuckle - A Brutal look at Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Knuckle is a powerful documentary that follows traveling bare knuckle boxers in Northern Ireland. The film centralizes on two families, the Quinn Mc'Donalds, and the Joyces. 

These  two families have been locked in a blood-feud for many years. The way they settle there animosity between the two families  is by engaging in brutal bareknuckle boxing matches, which they train all year, with lots of honor and money on the line.

The film is gritty and violent, and shows actual footage of these brawls. An interesting aspect of the fights is how much money is on the line, sometimes up to 50,000+ euros, all contributed by bets. 

Some of the movie is a bit hard to stomach, when two grandfathers in their 60's box it out in brutal fashion. I winced at every blow. Overall the film is very engaging, with Mighty Joe Quinn Mc'Donald, who chews the scenery, and his protege, his little brother, stealing the show.

Expect brutal fights, bloody faces, lots of famous Irish humor, and a grizzly look into the 'pikey lifestyle' that has since been popularized by Brad Pitt's amazing performance in Guy Richie's film Snatch. 

Fan's of the UFC and Boxing will certainly enjoy the barbaric practice of bareknuckle fighting, but to me, all this misplaced rage and fury (traditional or not) seems a giant waste of time and energy for these families. 

But the film is also deeply fascinating as well, and hard to look away from.  If anything, it made me very content with my family's own feuds, very timid in comparison. 

Full Movie

My Rating 6.0