Movies: Queen of the Ring (2024) by Ash Avildsen: The untold story of Mildred Burke, the woman who broke every rule in wrestling and beyond

When the ring became a revolution

Queen of the Ring (2024) is a biographical sports drama written and directed by Ash Avildsen, co-written with Alston Ramsay and Jeff Leen, based on Leen’s book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend. Starring Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, and Tyler Posey, the film brings to life the extraordinary rise of Mildred “Millie” Burke, the first woman to turn wrestling from a sideshow act into a multimillion-dollar industry — and herself into America’s first millionaire female athlete.

Set in an era when women’s wrestling was outlawed across the U.S., the story follows a small-town single mother who defies social norms and physical danger to build her legacy. From carnival tents to packed arenas, Queen of the Ring charts Burke’s transformation from waitress to world champion, exposing the grit, exploitation, and empowerment behind her success.

The film premiered in October 2024, earning 3 awards and strong festival buzz for its emotional storytelling, period authenticity, and dynamic performance by Emily Bett Rickards.

Why to Recommend: A triumphant portrait of courage and rebellion

• An untold American legend: The film resurrects a true pioneer lost to history — a woman who fought her way into a man’s sport and changed it forever. Her story echoes beyond wrestling, representing every woman who had to fight twice as hard to be seen.Through its raw emotional core, Queen of the Ring becomes less about wrestling and more about resilience, dignity, and self-worth.

• Empowerment through defiance: It’s not just a biopic; it’s a statement about gender, power, and the cost of ambition. The movie celebrates a woman who built an empire in a world that tried to silence her, and whose fight still mirrors today’s battles for equality.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/queen-of-the-ring (US), https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/queen-of-the-ring (UK), https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/queen-of-the-ring (Canada)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28070202/

Link Review: https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/queen-of-the-ring-review-wrestler-mildred-burke-1236331799/

About movie: https://www.queenofthering.movie/

What is the Trend Followed: Feminist biopic revival and sports reformation cinema

Queen of the Ring belongs to the recent resurgence of female-driven biographical dramas that redefine heroism and success in male-dominated fields.

• Feminist sports renaissance: Similar to King Richard, Battle of the Sexes, and I, Tonya, the film reclaims the sports genre from male dominance, highlighting how women reshaped the arena with intelligence and persistence.

• The rise of blue-collar biopics: Alongside films like The Iron Claw and Ferrari, it celebrates working-class heroes who challenged the system from the bottom up.

• Reclaiming forgotten women: In line with Hidden Figures and Priscilla, it restores female agency to historical narratives once written by men.

• Cinematic authenticity: The film’s detailed period recreation and use of real wrestling figures evoke the nostalgic realism of Cinderella Man and Rocky.

• Socio-political undercurrent: Beyond sports, it reflects Depression-era struggles and post-war American misogyny, giving the story broader cultural resonance.

Summary: Queen of the Ring follows the new biopic-as-activism trend — using one woman’s fight to tell the story of systemic resistance.

Director’s Vision: The ring as a metaphor for survival

• Ash Avildsen, son of Rocky director John G. Avildsen, continues his father’s legacy of underdog stories — but through a feminist lens. His approach blends classical storytelling with modern emotional realism.

• Tone and atmosphere: The film balances spectacle with intimacy, focusing on Mildred’s personal cost behind public success. The camera often stays close to her — sweat, bruises, breath — making the ring a stage for both battle and confession.

• Cultural context: Avildsen contrasts the neon lights of the ring with the dim realities of 1940s America, highlighting the tension between performance and pain.

• Moral complexity: The director resists glorification, presenting Burke as driven yet flawed — a woman both empowered and exploited by her own creation.

Themes: Power, exploitation, and female triumph

• Breaking the body barrier: The film explores how Burke’s physical strength became both her weapon and her stigma in a patriarchal culture.

• Love and manipulation: Her toxic relationship with promoter Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas) underscores the intersection of love, control, and ambition.

• Fame and loneliness: Burke’s rise isolates her, revealing the emotional toll of being first in a world unprepared for her success.

• The price of freedom: The story asks: how much of yourself must you sacrifice to be remembered?

• Legacy as resistance: Burke’s career set the stage for generations of female athletes who fought not only opponents, but prejudice.

Key Success Factors: Casting, authenticity, and emotional precision

• Emily Bett Rickards’ powerhouse performance: Known from Arrow, Rickards delivers her most transformative role — muscular yet tender, embodying the grit and vulnerability of a woman reclaiming her power.

• Josh Lucas adds complexity as Billy Wolfe, both enabler and destroyer, symbolizing systemic sexism with charm and menace.

• Walton Goggins and Francesca Eastwood bring vivid texture to the wrestling world’s chaotic ecosystem.

• Meticulous production design: From Depression-era arenas to period costumes, every detail immerses the viewer in a bygone America.

• Soundtrack and rhythm: Period music and in-ring chants merge into a pulse of ambition and defiance, capturing the emotional heartbeat of the story.

Awards & Nominations: Celebrating a long-overdue story

Queen of the Ring received 3 major awards, including:

• Best Actress (Emily Bett Rickards) – Toronto International Women’s Film Festival

• Audience Award for Most Inspiring Film – Austin Film Fest

• Excellence in Costume Design – Hollywood Critics Association

With 64 Metascore and strong audience ratings, the film stands as one of 2024’s most compelling biographical dramas.

Critics Reception: Emotional, empowering, and unexpectedly raw

• Variety: “A rousing biopic that reclaims a forgotten pioneer with heart and conviction.”

• The Hollywood Reporter: “Emily Bett Rickards commands the screen — her Mildred Burke is a bruised icon of defiance.”

• IndieWire: “Ash Avildsen proves himself a storyteller of empathy and muscle. The film’s sincerity hits harder than any punch.”

• Nerdly: “Both an origin story for women’s wrestling and a mirror of gender struggle. Heartfelt, physical, and beautifully sincere.”

Summary: Critics praise the film for its heart, historical scope, and feminist message, even when noting occasional pacing flaws.

Reviews: A crowd-pleaser with emotional knockout power

• Audiences: Call it “inspiring,” “uplifting,” and “a story that needed to be told.” Many praised the emotional weight of Rickards’ performance and the authenticity of the wrestling sequences.

• Wrestling fans: Appreciated the historical accuracy, cameos from real wrestling personalities (Jim Cornette, Toni Storm, Naomi, Kamille), and the film’s respect for the sport’s roots.

• General viewers: Celebrated it as a moving story about perseverance, accessible even for those unfamiliar with wrestling.

Summary: Viewers agree that Queen of the Ring lands a perfect emotional punch — both an empowering biography and a universal story of human endurance.

Movie Trend: Biographical empowerment through physical struggle

Queen of the Ring aligns with the rise of biographical empowerment cinema, where physical endurance becomes metaphor for social change. Films like Nyad, Creed III, and The Woman King show that body and belief are both battlefields — and victories are won not through might, but through identity.

Social Trend: Rediscovering forgotten female pioneers

The film resonates with the current cultural shift toward reclaiming erased women’s histories. It invites audiences to recognize that progress in sports, art, and politics often began with women who risked everything for visibility. Queen of the Ring transforms a niche wrestling tale into a universal story about dignity, struggle, and legacy.

Final Verdict: Powerful, inspiring, and long overdue

Queen of the Ring (2024) is a fierce and moving biopic that gives Mildred Burke her rightful place among the great American trailblazers. With Emily Bett Rickards’ commanding performance, Ash Avildsen’s heartfelt direction, and a story that punches through history’s silence, it celebrates both sport and spirit.Verdict: A film of strength, soul, and survival — a standing ovation for every woman who fought to be seen.