Salvable

Just to be clear, this is not a boxing movie. It's very much deep in the drama category...and thats a good thing. I did not expect to be so emotionally broken after watching this. As a father myself, i couldn't help but think about my own children.

A stand out movie, one which will stay with me for a while think. The lead actor Sal played by Toby Kebell is outstanding, it almost feels like a real lived in documentary, you are with him every step of this film and you feel his woes even in the quietest moments of the film.

A must watch... but don't expect this to be an action flick, its a slow burn, beautifully crafted and emotionally driven drama. Just flawed me.

Salvable knocks you out like a good boxer would. Obviously, this isn't a movie about boxing. Our main character does fight people in the ring, but more than that, he fights life and his circumstances. This film powerfully conveys a mood-one of sadness, of tough odds, of hopelessness. And you'll feel all of that: through the music, the gritty, rundown locations, the grimy, raw coastal weather-and most of all through the characters, especially in a layered lead performance by Toby Kebbell.

Sal is the underdog in the story-and this movie, too, started out as an underdog, but turned into a great watch.

Classic story about people with no money, broken homes, broken families, broken psyche, low morality, low intelligence, crime etc.

There is the boxing element to it, but this isn't a boxing movie, it's a drama.

It's well acted, Shia Lebouf is a minor character nice to see him taking some interesting roles, hope he gets back to the mainstream soon.

The acting and cinematography and everything makes this very realistic feeling. Like it's a true story.

Life sometimes breaks a man, and his best just isn't good enough, and there are few helping hands. Is it possible to break away from the grips of fate?

Salvable offers striking visuals and well-choreographed boxing scenes - gritty, kinetic, and grounded - but the storytelling never quite packs a punch. The film centers on Sal, a washed-up boxer battling regret, family estrangement, and the lure of a dangerous comeback. While cinematography beautifully captures the blue-collar grit of Wales and the ring sequences feel authentic, the screenplay remains surface level. His relationships with his daughter and ex-wife feel underdeveloped, pacing suffers in the middle, and the emotional stakes don't fully land. Shia LaBeouf brings some energy as Vince, but mostly just steers Sal toward a predictable end. Salvable looks tough, but it never truly hits below the surface.

Is it a hit or a knockout blow?

Salvable tells the story of Sal (Toby Kebbell), an ex-boxer who has hit on hard times following his last loss in the ring. Whilst continuing to train with grizzly boxing coach Welly (James Cosmo), Sal struggles to keep motivated with his care home job and creates more tensions with his ex-wife when trying to get custody of his daughter.

This get even more tense when his old friend Vince (Shia LaBeouf) turns up after 14 years in jail and begins to rope Sal into the world of underground illegal bareknuckle fighting. Once Sal sees the lucrative draw of the scene, can he keep himself grounded enough to keep life in order or will he spiral out of control even more with the temptation of glory?

Salvable has all the hallmarks of a story we've seen a million times: The underdog, the down-on-his-luck-ex-fighter, the troubled family life, the redemption arc. It would have been easy for this to be a film with an 80's power-ballad training montage and an "ultimate victory" moment, however, the film steers away from being a Hollywood crowd pleaser, and maintains it's gritty bleakness throughout.

Toby Kebbell's performance as Sal is fantastic. He is believable throughout whether it be the boxing training scenes or the plight of the underachieving father. He can say a lot without actually saying it. His mannerisms and tone of delivery does a lot of the work for him, the sign of a truly great actor.

Then there's Shia LaBoeuf. In the first moment he's on screen and you realise he's doing a strong Irish accent, you realise that this is a strong performance from the actor. He's authentic and really well put together.

I went into Salvable not expecting to be blown away but I really enjoyed the performances, the story and the setting. This film was made by someone who wanted to show an authentic look at life rather than a glamorous redemption story.