The Boys in the Boat (2023)

December 25, 2023 (US) • Drama, History • 123m

Overview

The triumphant underdog story of the University of Washington men's rowing team, who stunned the world by competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Director

Daniel James Brown, Mark L. Smith

Top Billed

Joel Edgerton

Keywords

sports olympic games based on true story rowing 1930s factual dramatic overcoming obstacles washington university

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Reviews

CinemaSerf

⭐ 7/10

January 16, 2024

Living out of a dilapidated old car on a piece of waste ground in a suburb of Seattle, Joe Rantz (Callum Turner) travels each day to the University of Washington where he studies engineering. Using newspapers to stop-up the holes in his boots, we learn quickly that he's pretty poverty stricken and when told he has to fund the second half of his semester, is facing quite a challenge. Luckily, his pal Roger Morris (Sam Strike) discovers that getting a spot on the rowing team would get them both a job and a bed. To the try-outs they go, but they don't expect virtually everyone else to be there too! A tough series of rigorous training exercises ensue and thanks to a developing relationship with boat-builder George Pocock (Peter Guinness) he actually begins to want this. It's not just about the job anymore - it's about pride in achievement. The fact that it also impresses Joyce Simdars (Hadley Robinson) as well is no bad thing, so under the guidance of head coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton) the team is selected and must attempt to break some recent ducks to ensure it's continued funding and to, maybe, get a place at the forthcoming Berlin Olympiad. I first saw Turner in "Glue" (2014) and thought he had potential as a decent looking and quite proficient actor who seems to play the more reticent and shy character effectively. Here he works well as a man with a mission. Edgerton is also on good-form as the inspirational teacher but the star of the show for me, though, is their feisty and shrewd little cox Bobby Moch (Luke Slattery) who rather summed up the whole ethos of the all-for-one team spirit. The photography and general look of the film is engaging, as is the Alexandre Desplat score and George Clooney allows Turner et al to deliver a story of strong characters in the face of tough circumstances naturally and sympathetically. Not too sure Adolf was too impressed at the end!

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r96sk

⭐ 7/10

January 26, 2024

A pretty standard sports biopic. It successfully tells a feel-good underdog story.

Events do meander in parts, but for the vast majority it's a solid watch. Callum Turner is, as you'd expect given he's the main character, the film's standout, I enjoyed his performance. Joel Edgerton is good too, as is Hadley Robinson in a small role. I also dug the score used throughout, at plenty of moments I could feel myself appreciating Alexandre Desplat's… read the rest.

Brent Marchant

⭐ 6/10

May 30, 2024

When it comes to underdog stories, there are offerings that are decidedly inspirational and those that are riddled with clichés. As for the latest in this genre from director George Clooney, the film falls squarely in the latter category. Although capably made for the most part, this fact-based account about the 1936 US Olympic gold medal-winning eight-man rowing team is positively rife with shopworn predictable sports story tropes, nearly all of… read the rest.

jimb15122

⭐ 9/10

June 2, 2024

A well made period piece. Near total absence of woke themes and perversions. Bravo George Clooney!!

honeybee <3

⭐ 7/10

August 30, 2026

Other than the blond one, the shouting twink, and the sick piano guy, all the boat boys looked the same. Even the boys not in boats looked similar. Very hard to tell who was who. The women were easy to tell apart cause there were only two. There were some very aggressive zoom ins that felt like The Office. A couple montages of course. Made me want to become a rower. 🦅 🦅 🦅 > nazis

> (3.5/5, originally reviewed 1/19/25)