Fighting with My Family 2019

In 2002, in Norwich, England, a 10-year-old Zak Bevis (Jack Lowden) finds himself captivated by a WWF (now WWE) King of the Ring pay-per-view event, until his younger sister Saraya (Florence Pugh) unexpectedly changes the channel to her favorite show, Charmed. Growing up in a household founded on the principles of wrestling, Zak and Saraya are motivated by their parents, Rick (Nick Frost) and Julia (Lena Headey), both wrestlers themselves. With their parents cheering them on, the siblings begin their journey into the wrestling world; despite Saraya’s initial hesitations about wrestling a boy, she ultimately triumphs in her first match under the World Association of Wrestling Organization.

Fast forward to 18, where Saraya, now wrestling under the moniker Britani Knight, along with her brother Zak Zodiac, endeavors to train aspiring wrestlers while dreaming of climbing to greater heights in the wrestling industry. They remain staples in local wrestling circuits but aspire to break into the big leagues. Their story is intertwined with a tumultuous past—Rick had spent eight years in prison for violent offenses but transformed his life upon discovering wrestling alongside Julia, which led to a radical change in their lives and family dynamics. Their unconventional love affair raises eyebrows, particularly among Zak’s girlfriend Courtney (Hannah Rae)‘s conservative parents, Hugh (Stephen Merchant) and Daphne (Julia Davis).

As Rick and Julia battle financial strain to keep their wrestling school afloat, they seek the aid of WWE trainer Hutch Morgan (Vince Vaughn). They send him a tape showcasing the talents of Zak and Britani, yet struggle to secure a meeting. To their astonishment, Morgan unexpectedly calls offering a chance for a tryout during a SmackDown taping at The O2 Arena, instructing Saraya to choose a different ring name, as they already had a Britani. With guidance from Dwayne Johnson (Dwayne Johnson), the siblings learn that crafting their unique wrestling personas is crucial. Saraya embraces the name Paige, inspired by her beloved Charmed character, declaring that wrestling is her escape from life’s harsh truths.

The siblings arrive at the tryout alongside numerous other hopefuls but are met with Morgan’s critical scrutiny. Ultimately, he selects Paige, much to her chagrin as she wished for Zak to join as well, given his superior wrestling skills. Morgan bluntly informs Zak that he must return home, shattering his dreams of professional wrestling and leaving Paige feeling isolated.

With encouragement from her brother, Paige relocates to America as Zak remains committed to British independent wrestling, assisting their parents at the gym while caring for Courtney and their newborn son. Upon arriving at NXT in Florida, Paige faces challenges adapting to the WWE style, marked by a lack of inter-gender matches and the inexperience of her fellow trainees, Jeri-Lynn (Kim Matula), Kirsten (Aqueela Zoll), and Maddison (Ellie Gonsalves). Struggling to perform choreographed promos which conflict with her natural instincts, Paige experiences self-doubt, leading to an emotional breakdown during her in-ring debut, where the heckling crowd drives her to tears.

Attempting to fit in, Paige alters her appearance dramatically, including bleaching her hair and using spray tan, but this only exacerbates tensions with her peers. After a failed obstacle course, she lashes out, mistakenly believing the others were gossiping about her, when they were actually concerned for their own matters regarding Kirsten’s family situation. However, when Morgan reveals his rationale for not signing Zak—preventing him from becoming a jobber, thus safeguarding his health—Paige contemplates a future beyond WWE.

Believing wrestling may not be worth the mental strain, she initially decides to quit and return home. Yet, upon her arrival for Christmas, she discovers her family’s commercialization of her likeness and a match against Zak has been scheduled during her break. In a moment of confrontation, Paige shares her decision to leave WWE with Zak, inciting anger in him for abandoning their shared aspirations. During a confrontation post-fight at a bar, the family recognizes the truth: Morgan’s decision was to protect Zak. With renewed resolve, Zak urges Paige to embrace her dream once more.

Returning to Florida, Paige adopts her original persona, experiencing significant growth in her training and fostering camaraderie with her fellow trainees. Zak, in turn, dedicates himself to teaching aspiring wrestlers back home. Morgan surprises the team with an invitation to WrestleMania XXX, where Paige will share a suite with none other than The Rock. The day after, she makes her Raw debut against WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee (Thea Trinidad), an event witnessed by her proud family. Despite freezing up at first, she ultimately claims victory and the title, declaring with exuberance, “This is MY house!”

In the epilogue, it highlights Paige’s historic role as the youngest Divas Champion and an early figure in the ongoing Women’s Revolution. It also nods to Zak’s success as a mentor to a visually impaired trainee and humorously addresses The Rock’s movie career alongside Rick’s entrepreneurial ventures. The closing credits feature moments from the family’s 2012 documentary and Paige’s groundbreaking debut match, symbolizing her journey from a small-town girl to a wrestling icon.