The Wrestler

The Wrestler (2008) is a drama directed by Darren Aronofsky that you can watch online on iFILM. Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson — a professional wrestler who was a household name in the eighties and now works weekend shows in community center parking lots. The pay barely covers the rent on his trailer. The body keeps absorbing the punishment anyway.

After a serious cardiac event forces him off the mat, Randy tries to rebuild something outside the ring. He reaches toward Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a dancer at the club he's been going to for years, and makes a clumsy attempt to reconnect with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Neither effort comes easily to a man whose whole identity was forged under the ring lights. Aronofsky shot on handheld cameras with minimal setup — the rough, close footage makes every bruise feel earned.

The film won the Golden Lion at Venice in 2008. Rourke took the Golden Globe for Best Actor and earned an Oscar nomination: a genuine comeback after fifteen years on the margins of Hollywood. Stream The Wrestler (2008) online on iFILM.