Synopsis
The predators are her prey.
A Native American boxer embarks on the fight of her life when she goes in search of her missing sister.
Catch the Fair One
2021 Directed by Josef Wladyka
Cast
Director
Producers
Darren Aronofsky Ari Handel James M. Hausler Sam Bisbee Mollye Asher Mynette Louie Josef Wladyka Shaun S. Sanghani Charles Stiefel Arturo Castro Kimberly Parker Derek Nguyen Chris Triana Alex Peace Todd Stiefel Claude Amadeo Michael D'Alto Cat Hobbs
Writers
Editor
Cinematography
Production Design
Set Decoration
Visual Effects
Composer
Sound
Costumes
Make-Up
Studios
Protozoa Pictures The Population Heretical Reason Productions Needle's Eye Productions FirstGen Content Memento Films International
Countries
Language
Popular reviews
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With Ronda Rousey lying low for the last few years and Gina Carano not lying nearly low enough, the fighter-to-actress pipeline isn’t flowing as steadily as it once was. But now a new challenger has entered the ring with “Catch the Fair One,” and she’s already a WBA champion in two other weight classes. After her bruising yet vulnerable lead performance in Josef Kubota Wladyka’s sex-trafficking thriller, boxer Kali Reis deserves to add another title belt to her collection (and not just because there’s so little in the way of competition).
Reis’ sinewy first movie role isn’t much of a stretch, but that’s part of why it packs such a devastating punch. The Providence-born pugilist — a half-Native (descending from…
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"We need to talk about this" - Trafficker,
- 2021 Ranked: boxd.it/aL2Ys
Some will be disappointed that this isn't more exploitation style revenge but that isn't really the purpose of this movie. This is straight forward and to the point with no frills. This is a grounded revenge story that is slow and deliberate in drawing out the pain and trauma. I love that it isn't highly stylized or over the top and that we just get to focus on good performances and the goal presented in the movie. Kali Reis is fantastic in the lead and the supporting cast is effective.
I really enjoyed this.
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Grim and bleak, much like the despicable world our protagonist gets involved with, Catch the Fair One is far more than just another boxing movie. Though her acting chops aren’t as hard hitting as her boxing moves, Kali Reis brings an authenticity to the role that elevates this revenge thriller beyond the genre’s usual trappings. While it’s a story we’ve seen before, the film thrives due to its representation. Not only does it feature several Native actors, but it also sheds light on the issue of human trafficking of Native girls specifically. The film’s subtle observation of racial power dynamics is also one of its strengths. Overall, Catch the Fair One packs quite a punch and is definitely worth a watch.
Tribeca Watch #8
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“THE FEAR OF GOD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM”
A fitting, albeit, ironic sign to see staked in front of the home of a man helping run his family’s sex trafficking ring. If there is a God, He is not here in the cold, cruel world that Josef Wladyka has immersed his audience in.
From Nathan Halpern’s tense score to Ross Giardina’s sharp, refined cinematography, Catch the Fair One is an all around well done revenge thriller, elevated especially by its representation and lead performance. Kali Reis delivers a raw performance that makes her character far more appealing than her male counterparts of the genre (à la Taken/John Wick). What truly helps round out her character well is her humanity, and the…
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A grim, as lean-as-it-gets revenge thriller with a stunning soundscape that captures every drag, scrape and crunch. Gorgeous compositions too, each frame a window into real life horror. One of the purest examples of always show, never tell that I’ve seen recently. Wladyka innately trusts you to recognize that a black eye here or a knife on the table there tells you everything you need. It’s small in scope but as cinematic as it gets because of this. That ending is a double gut punch, man. Fuck.
Captivated by its assured brutality. Excellent stuff.
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I like watching heroes that are tough but not indestructible. Kali Reis' Kaylee isn't a revenge mastermind. She's vulnerable, a little over her head, and you can see her figuring things out as she goes along, improvising. So even when the template is something that we've seen, these are the kind of details that helps to get invested in it again. And while the story is centered around human trafficking, it's not an exploitative thriller, either.
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☆"Nobody’s looking because nobody cares."☆
Film Independent screener.
I suppose if you're looking for a very different kind of movie from what's usually nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, then there's some value in the revenge thriller from Josef Wladyka, Catch the Fair One, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky. Up for the Best Female Lead award for Kali Reis, a former boxer and WBA champion, she's a fine reason to check out this thriller as her performance hits hard, with a story that pulls no punches in its look at the exploitation and abuse of Native women by white men.
Reis plays Kaylee, half-Native and half-Cape Verdean boxer -- like in real life -- who has mostly put the gloves…
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CATCH THE FAIR ONE is a bleak film that pulls no punches in its hard hitting revenge story of a Native American fighter looking for her missing sister. Kali Reis gives a powerful breakthrough performance that knocked me out. Unglamorous, chillingly brutal & left me wanting more.
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A last-resort descent into hell, Catch The Fair One is as much a stark revenge thriller as it is story of seething grief, destructive guilt, and a grim spotlight on the trafficking of Native American women. An in-media-res first act entrenched in grueling preparation sets the tone immediately; nothing sums up the film’s sense of uncomfortable desperation better than protagonist Kaylee sleeping with a concealed razor blade in her mouth. Lead/co-writer Kali Reis - a real-life boxer who promotes awareness of missing indigenous women - gives an incredibly commanding performance in her debut role, in what is practically a self-biographical embodiment of the ex-boxer protagonist.
Josef Wladyka‘s bleak and assured thriller follows Kaylee into the trafficking underworld to find her…
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“You think I remember any of their names?”
A thrilling and devastating film that hits you like a ton of bricks. A must watch.
Fantasia #11
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Plot isn't fully realized but this is still a taut, tense piece of filmmaking from Josef Wladyka, whose television work I've been a fan of for a bit. Excited to see what's in the pipeline for him, as well as Kali Reis, whose performance comes from a place of vulnerability contextualized by the cold brutality required of the character. This is a thriller with clear motivations and a simple thread to follow, and though it doesn't really hit any higher gear, it's still effective.
GRADE: B
