| Director | Jeff Wadlow |
|---|---|
| Genre | action film, coming-of-age film, drama film, martial arts film, teen film |
| Runtime | 110 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | $41.6 million |
Jake Tyler has recently moved from Iowa to Orlando, Florida with his mother, Margot, and younger brother, Charlie. The move furthers Charlie's budding tennis career.
Jake's father died in a drunk-driving car crash, which classmates have taunted him about. An internet video of Jake fighting with an opponent football player in Iowa, who mocks him, is shared at his new school, giving him a reputation.
Initially, Jake has trouble fitting in. While walking, he sees Max Cooperman seemingly being beaten up by bullies. When he tries to intervene, Max and his friends tell him off, as the "bullying" was actually a consensual mixed martial arts fight.
Later, Jake is invited to a party by classmate Baja Miller. There, he is unwillingly pulled into a fight with Ryan McCarthy, the school's MMA champion and also Baja's boyfriend. Initially refusing to fight, Jake snaps when Ryan jokes about his father's death. Ryan easily defeats him, and a video of it circulating in the school humiliates him.
Max befriends Jake, introduces him to MMA, and connects him with instructor Jean Roqua. After passing Roqua's physical tests and impressing him with his willpower, he is accepted as his student. Roqua forewarns Jake that he forbids fighting outside the gym for any reason while under his instruction. If he does, he will be thrown out of his gym. While Jake trains under Roqua, he initially struggles to quell his anger towards Ryan.
Baja apologizes to Jake for coercing him into a fight with Ryan, but he refuses to forgive her. When Ryan shows no remorse for the fight or his sadistic tendencies, Baja breaks up with him. Jake intervenes to protect her, so Ryan again insults him about his father and leaves.
At practice, Jake is still furious over what happened. Roqua tells him to leave until he cools off. In Max's car, Jake gets into a road-rage brawl that Max films. The video circulates the school and raises Jake's social status, prompting Ryan to confront him.
Ryan roughs up Jake in a bathroom and challenges him to compete in the Beatdown, an underground fighting tournament in which Ryan is the reigning champion. When Roqua discovers that Jake has fought outside the gym, he kicks him out and tells him not to return. Jake convinces him a short while later to take him back. Roqua puts him through more rigorous training, which he uses as preparation for the Beatdown.
After a workout, Roqua confides in Jake that he is in self-imposed exile from Brazil. His brother was a skilled MMA fighter and had handily beaten a local troublemaker. The man later returned with a gun and murdered him. Their father blames him for the death, saying he should have been watching out for his brother.
Initially not interested in competing in the Beatdown, he changes his mind after Ryan assaults Max, putting him in the hospital. Jake confides in Roqua about participating in the Beatdown. They initially argue, but he eventually relents, reminding Jake to "control the outcome."
Jake arrives at the tournament, and he and Ryan make their way through each round, each emerging victorious. Jake makes it to the semifinals despite an injury he received in the previous match. After learning that Ryan was disqualified in his semifinal match due to an illegal eye gouge, Jake forfeits, seeing no reason to continue.
As Jake attempts to leave, Ryan confronts him, and they fight outside in the parking lot. Jake's injuries limit him, so Ryan, at first, gains the upper hand and applies a choke on Jake. However, he escapes and knocks him out using a combination Roqua had taught him. Jake wins the respect of his fellow students, including Ryan, and Roqua returns to Brazil to reconcile with his father.