When I heard that cinematographer Rachel Morrison would be making her directorial debut, I was confident it would be a beautifully shot film, and “The Fire Inside” delivers on that and more.

From a script by Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “Mufasa“), “The Fire Inside” tells the compelling true story of boxer Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) and her coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), as they get things started in Flint, Michigan, and travel around the world as she achieves new titles.

Unlike other sports biopics, “The Fire Inside” doesn’t end when wins her gold medal. Instead, it shows the reality of life for Claressa, Jason and their loved ones as they struggle to make ends meet and secure endorsements following her incredible underdog run for the Olympic gold.

Getting a glimpse at those struggles made “The Fire Inside” infinitely more relatable and interesting than most of the sports biopics I’ve seen recently, including “Unstoppable.”

Both Destiny and Henry are fantastic in their roles and give the film both its heart and its fun.

While “Mufasa” or “Moana 2” might be the trip to the cinema for those with younger kids, I highly recommend “The Fire Inside” as an inspirational trip to the movies for families with teenagers.

Rating: 4/5