Film

Beyond the Mat

Name: Beyond the Mat
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1999
Cast: Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Vince McMahon, Aurelian Smith Jr., Jesse Ventura

Barry Blaustein's fly-on-the-wall documentary strips the glitter off professional wrestling to reveal the toll underneath: broken bodies, wrecked families, real blood spilled for fake fights. Moving between Vince McMahon's boardroom, Mick Foley's punishing matches, and Jake Roberts's addiction, it earns unnerving access. Funny, sad, occasionally hard to watch, it's less a wrestling film than a portrait of men who can't stop performing, even off camera.

TMDb rating

7.3

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