‘Queen of the Ring’ Review: Emily Bett Rickards Brings Soul and Strength to Female Wrestling Biopic
Currently, wrestling-themed images are trending. Last year saw the release of the exceptional yet underappreciated movie titled “The Iron Claw,” focusing on the tragic Von Erich brothers. Now, we have Ash Avildsen’s engaging and retro biopic about Mildred Burke. If you’re unfamiliar with her (and most likely are), this film aims to change that. A trailblazer in wrestling who became the first million-dollar female athlete ever, Burke was a three-time women’s world champion from the 1930s to the 1950s, an era when women’s wrestling was illegal in much of the country. Her story is compelling and this film, which opened the 39th annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, largely does her justice with “Queen of the Ring.