Unstoppable, the new film about the high school and college career of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg, follows the established tropes of a Hollywood sports drama. There are euphoric wins and devastating losses, tearful familial moments and heartwarming triumphs over adversity – but it never feels dull, thanks to William Goldenberg’s pacey direction and engrossing lead performances from Jharrel Jerome as Robles and Jennifer Lopez as his mother, Judy. Tapping into the same mixture of fight and pathos that made her performances in Out of Sight and Hustlers so compelling, Lopez owns the film, culminating in a rousing moment in its final act when – after hearing a member of the crowd trash-talk her son – she attempts to start a fight in the stands.
“You know what was funny about that? The first time we did it, the extras didn’t know what was gonna happen,” Lopez says, laughing. “When I turned around and started cursing and trying to punch a woman in the face, they were like, ‘What the fuck?’ They didn’t know if I had just gotten mad at somebody.”
