The Wrestler (Boli) 2025 [Movie Review] — A Coastal Fable of Muscle, Myth and Quiet Obsession

The Wrestler (Boli) is a thoughtful, often enigmatic debut from writer-director Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury that places Bangladesh’s traditional sport of boli khela at the centre of a mournful, myth-tinged drama. More contemplative than combative, the film asks big questions about pride, purpose, and mortality through the life of an ageing fisherman who insists on stepping into the ring.

Story & Structure

An underdog tale that unfolds like a coastal parable

At its heart, the film follows Moju (Nasir Uddin Khan), a worn fisherman who decides to challenge local champion Dofor (AKM Itmam). What could have been a straightforward sports showdown becomes a layered portrait of a man compelled by forces that are cultural, economic, and possibly supernatural. Chowdhury resists tidy explanations — motivation is hinted at rather than declared — so the narrative moves in long, deliberate arcs that allow atmosphere and suggestion to do much of the work. The bout itself becomes less a spectacle than a ritual, surrounded by folk songs and communal anxieties.

Performances

Naturalistic acting that feeds the film’s authenticity and melancholy

Nasir Uddin Khan anchors the film with a weathered, quietly intense performance; Moju’s stubbornness and vulnerability are rendered without melodrama. AKM Itmam’s Dofor is an imposing yet grounded presence, while Angel Noor and Priyam Archi (as Shafu and Rashu) provide domestic counterpoints that reveal the personal cost of Moju’s obsession. The largely non-professional ensemble sometimes delivers stilted lines, but that roughness often enhances the film’s air of regional truth — faces and gestures feel sourced from the community rather than manufactured for the screen.

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Direction & Writing

A director with a patient, oblique voice

Chowdhury’s screenplay opts for implication over exposition. Stories of male pride, ritual, and seaside superstition surface slowly, and the film’s refusal to spell everything out is both its strength and potential frustration. There are moments of striking restraint — long observational takes, elliptical exchanges, and sudden slippages into the uncanny — which together create a rhythm that mirrors the ebb and flow of coastal life. As a first feature, it demonstrates an assured visual imagination and willingness to embrace ambiguity.

Visuals & Sound

Cinematography and sound that evoke salt, wind, and the uncanny

Tuhin Tamijul’s lensing works in natural light to sculpt the film’s austere palette: bleached sand, storm-dark skies, and the sea’s shifting moods. Ranadas Badsha’s sparse score and Rakat Zami’s sound design amplify the film’s haunting stillness — creaking boats, distant waves, and ritual chants become part of the narrative vocabulary. When the film leans into surreal flourishes, the technical design supports them convincingly, turning small coastal details into larger metaphors.

Themes & Impact

Masculinity, myth, and the economics of pride

Beneath its wrestling premise, The Wrestler probes how masculinity is performed and policed in a community with limited options. Moju’s challenge reads as both a personal act of defiance and a symptom of societal pressure. The film also entwines local folklore and the sea’s threat, suggesting the supernatural as an interpretive frame for grief and guilt. Its allegorical quality will likely appeal to festival audiences and viewers drawn to films that reward contemplation over immediate answers.

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Verdict — Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

A restrained, bewitching debut that asks more of its audience — and rewards those who listen

The Wrestler (Boli) is not a conventional sports drama; it is a regional fable that blends the tactile with the mystical. While its deliberate pace and refusal to clarify every motive may divide viewers, the film’s atmosphere, committed central performance, and striking sensory design make it a memorable portrait of a coastal life in tension. For cinephiles who enjoy films that burrow under the skin and leave questions echoing, Chowdhury’s debut is a compelling, evocative watch.