Punch 2023

In a small town, Stan Richardson is a former professional boxer whose days in the ring still cast a long shadow over everyday life. His son, Jim Richardson, steps into the same sport with the hope of earning regional glory and perhaps his father’s quiet approval. As Jim grows toward adulthood, he discovers that he is homosexual, and a tender relationship forms with Whetu, an aspiring singer whose voice carries both ambition and vulnerability. The romance is met with a wall of judgment from much of the town, especially its men, who cling to a hard-edged code of masculinity and tradition.

The town’s atmosphere of suspicion and bravado takes a brutal turn when Whetu is severely beaten and raped by Jim’s boxing promoter and the promoter’s friends. Visiting the hospital, Stan offers a response that surprises many: he accepts Jim and Whetu’s bond, telling Jim that his own happiness should come first. After Whetu begins to recover, the young couple find a way to respond to the violence, choosing revenge by blowing up the promoter’s car, a dangerous act that shifts the town’s power balance and exposes the raw edges of loyalty and courage.

Meanwhile, Stan receives devastating news—terminal cancer—but chooses to keep the illness private from Jim, believing that secrecy could spare his son from fear and distraction as Jim trains for a fight that could crown him regional champion in his weight division. The promoter, eager to derail Jim’s path, plays a cruel game by betting against him and leaking the cancer news to distract him, complicating the moral terrain of ambition, love, and sacrifice.

The day of the title bout arrives with the crowd roaring, Jim’s muscles taut with effort, and the presence of his father ringside offering a steady, silent support. As Jim looks toward victory, Stan collapses, and the sight of his father’s distress drives Jim to break from the rhythm of the fight. He leaps out of the ring to be beside Stan, a choice that costs him the match by disqualification and allows the promoter to win the bet. The outcome is not simply about a boxing title but about a young man’s decision to honor family over triumph.

In the aftermath, Whetu’s dream of singing reaches a public stage, and he steps into a career that brings him personal fulfillment and a wider audience. Jim chooses a new path beyond boxing, deciding to stay in town and pursue videography, turning his experiences into visual memories. The film closes with Jim editing a video tribute that captures the depth of his relationship with Whetu and the resilience they found in one another, a testament to love, risk, and the power of choosing happiness against the odds.