Despite a genre that is often crowded and borrows from itself frequently, there’s no resisting a sports story of someone beating the odds. You may have never played an ounce of football in your life, but I’ll be damned if Rudy doesn’t make you want to do the impossible. The real-life story of Anthony Robles is incredible, and William Goldenberg’s ‘Unstoppable’ wants to make sure you know it. Despite being born with one leg, he became the 2011 125-pound NCAA wrestling Champion, capping off a 36-0 undefeated season. It’s a story of beating the odds that feels right at home for the big screen and will fit within the echelon of sports dramas before it. Every tale following this path needs a solid lead to bring it home. Jharrel Jerome fits the bill, exhibiting grit, determination, and humanity in portraying Robles. 

Robles’s story is the main course around which all ingredients are built. But in that respect, there were instances where Unstoppable could have broken the mold and dove into the complexities of the other characters within this story. Everything operates to ensure this one story of perseverance is lifted when Robles’s story is already doing that job independently. Unstoppable begins at the end of high school, and Robles (Jerome) has beyond proven himself to be an exceptional athlete despite many colleges overlooking him. Iowa University is the college wrestling mecca, and Anthony has his heart dead set on going there. But they, along with other colleges, give him the cold shoulder because of his disability.

Drexel University is the one school that comes along and offers him a full-ride scholarship. Anthony’s family is struggling with money, so that seems like perfect timing. However, Anthony wants to compete at the highest level, which sometimes means you must go through the most arduous paths.

Jharrel Jerome (Anthony Robles) and Bobby Cannavale (Rick Robles) in Unstoppable / Photo Credit: Amazon MGM

The writing team of Eric Champnella, Alex Harris, and John Hindman set the foundation around which Unstoppable orbits around. Within Anthony’s slow ascension to greatness, everything else (including the supporting cast) operates in concert with that to elevate it further. While we can level with the journey and are often swept up with how amazing it is, the film lessens the people around it because it has specific beats to play.  One of Anthony’s strongest supporters is his mother, Judy (Jennifer Lopez), and the beginning and end of Unstoppable lets that shine through the most. Lopez hones into the dramatic performance of a parent who wants the best for her children but is weathering the storm of an unsettled household.

Bobby Cannavale comes in as the at-home adversary to Anthony as his stepfather Rich. He’s a police officer on a power trip and often looks down upon Anthony’s dreams every chance he gets. The film gets into this place where it continually seeks to convey the tension between Rich and Anthony, with Judy caught in the middle with Anthony’s younger siblings. Within Unstoppable, two fits of peril don’t act in connection with one another. Instead, they try to tug at different emotions and give Judy’s character some motivations too late into the story to realize her arc in full. 


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For all that’s missing to flesh out the story, Goldenberg demonstrates a great hand in making the wrestling scenes count alongside cinematographer Salvatore Totino. There’s an exciting, technical energy to them that makes every pinfall and point matter in the moment. As far as typical sports mentors go, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle are the prototypical high school and college coaches who give Anthony much-needed advice along the way. Once you get to the big championship match, Unstoppable feels most comfortable. It knows how to nail the big crowd moment where the odds crumble under the will of the person who wanted more for themselves. Undoubtedly, that’s going to be the hook for a lot of people, and I can’t blame them if they come out of this film overjoyed this story happened. I did, too! The unfortunate part is that Unstoppable had all the parts in place to make me feel much more, given the layers of the story. The predictable route might be the winning formula, but not the six-point pinfall it could have been. 

“Unstoppable” premiered and was reviewed at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Read more here. 

Main Photo Credit: Amazon MGM Studios