Is Bruised A True Story? How Realistic Its MMA Story Is
Halle Berry’s Bruised follows Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter with a chance to redeem herself in and out of the ring. How true is the story?
Halle Berry's Bruised follows Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter who suffered a humiliating defeat, and some might wonder if it's based on a true story and how realistic it is. Jackie (Berry) cleans houses to make ends (barely) meet and suffers in an abusive relationship when she is presented with a chance to redeem herself both in the ring and with her family, after her estranged son she had given up for adoption comes back into her life. Bruised, which has gotten mixed reviews, offers a look into the gritty world of MMA from a female perspective.
Bruised marks Berry's directorial debut, released in theaters on November 17 before streaming on Netflix on November 24. The Academy Award-winning actress decided to take up the lead acting role in order to bring to life a fighter she can relate to even more than screenwriter Michelle Rosenfarb's original protagonist, an Irish Catholic woman in her twenties. Berry then searched for a director to bring her vision to the silver screen, but after a fruitless search, she decided to take on the position as well.
The attention to detail might have viewers wondering if it's loosely inspired by a real person, but Bruised is not based on a true story. However, the mixed martial arts fights and fighters depicted in the movie are either the real deal or as close to it as possible. Berry dedicated eight months to intensive training in martial arts, including boxing, capoeira, Muay Thai, jujitsu, and judo to have the skillset of professional MMA fighters–her ribs were even broken during the filming of one fight scene. Her costar, real-life UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (who plays Lucia "Lady Killer" Chavez), praised her in an interview, saying Berry "has a lot of power." (via MMAFightingonSBN) The fights play out realistically, thanks to Berry's rigorous regime and Shevchenko's support in learning the sport "in a way that would make their fight look and feel as real as possible." (via MMA Fighting).
The idea that a washed-up female fighter like Jackie would return to the arena, like Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby, is not unrealistic--even if Jackie is middle-aged. It can be assumed that Jackie is in her 50s, like Berry. Although she is older than the oldest female MMA fighter, the 44-year-old Marion Reneau, they are both middle-aged women. Jackie is also more advanced in years than the oldest MMA fighter, Randy Couture, who fought his last at 47 years old. Despite her age, Jackie proves she isn't past her prime. It's after a six-year hiatus that she rediscovers her passion for MMA, which mirrors fighters who also had long hiatuses, mostly due to injuries. Her return after suffering a panic attack also shares similarities with real life, as boxer Oliver McCall suffered a mental breakdown while fighting Lennox Lewis in 1997, but he returned to the sport and boxed up to his 50s until retiring in 2019.
Beyond the MMA fighting and career, what makes Halle Berry's Bruised a realistic movie is its universal appeal as an underdog redemption story. The film has been criticized for its formulaic structure and turns, but it aptly brings to life this inherent theme of the fight film genre. Like the genre protagonists that precede her, Jackie shows that one may not always beat their opponent, but if a person keeps trying, success will beat a path to their door.