Warrior

This movie about a pair of brothers vying for money and self-worth in a mixed-martial-arts tournament is kept out of the ditch by two powerful performances. While the story itself is rather melodramatic, Nick Nolte as a broken father trying to patch together a relationship with his grown sons, and Tom Hardy as an absolute powder-keg of anger and hurt, are so riveting that they overcome everything that’s subpar. It doesn’t hurt that the fighting scenes feel incredibly genuine, and that they aren’t sprinkled in merely for effect. They’re a big part of the appeal, especially when Hardy is onscreen.