It’s hard to believe that actor Jharrel Jerome can top his groundbreaking role in Moonlight or his extraordinary Emmy-winning performance in When They See Us, but with confidence, I can most certainly say he has in his latest film Unstoppable. Director William Goldenberg, a veteran editor who also cut Air, brings the remarkable true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) in this film from Amazon MGM Studios.
Born without a right leg, Anthony had to work twice as hard to pursue his dreams. And his determination, strength, and dedication is one of the most heartbreaking stories you will encounter.
Robles not only had to contend with his disability, but also with a volatile household, namely his father (Bobby Cannavale) who was emotionally abusive towards him and physically abusive towards Anthony’s mother (Jennifer Lopez).
Wrestling was an outlet for him to escape and hold on to the one thing left in his life that he had some bit of control over — wrestling. He received some positive patriarchal support from two coaches played by actors Don Cheadle and Michael Peña respectively. This support along with Anthony’s own vigor, truly made him unstoppable.
Jennifer Lopez emotes an impressive performance as Robles’ mother, who was a formative key figure in his life. His mother sadly deals with her own demons of insecurity, allowing Anthony’s father to take advantage of her at every turn. Bobby Cannavale who never disappoints with his spectacular depictions, does an incredible job of the conniving father. The abuse Anthony suffered was more mental abuse and stemmed from rejection and disdain. However, the silver lining to this story, and what makes it so remarkable, is that Anthony never let that seed of contempt his father had for him take root. He pursued his desires and dreams in spite of how his father felt about him, which is another layer to this true story that is so inspiring.
And while a story like Anthony’s which is incredible could easily fall into a 2-dimensional story trope, it is the nuanced and gut wrenching performance of Jharrel Jerome that gives this story texture and balance. There are moments in the film Unstoppable where we see Anthony’s personality shift. He literally goes into fight or flight mode at times when he’s faced in situations where there’s risk. In one example, during training, Anthony struggles to keep up with the rest of his team during a mountainous terrain to the point where he’s physically injured himself so badly that he begins to bleed. And while in most situations, a person would stop, Anthony kept fighting and going. Another moment where he shifts to fight mode is when he had to step in to defend and protect his mother from his abusive father.
Don Cheadle as his school coach has some great scenes with Jharrel Jerome and the two characters really showed the value of Anthony Robles’ relationship with his coach and the impact it made in his sports career.
Unstoppable shows peers into the real-life Robles who has long been a champion for accessibility. His mother has also played a key role in education and has a significant impact on his story.
The movie Unstoppable is a true tear-jerker, heartwarming, inspiring and the kind of sports film with a universal theme that anyone can relate to.
The film stars: Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Anthony Robles, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez. Unstoppable is also produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity company which also produced Air.
The film made its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
