Undercard Review: Wanda Sykes Goes For Broke In Undercooked, Conventional Boxing Drama

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Wanda Sykes, the well-known comedian and LGBTQ+ icon, takes on a dramatic role in the boxing film, though the movie itself doesn’t quite deliver. It’s hard to ignore Sykes’ uniquely recognizable voice – almost as distinctive as the late Gilbert Gottfried’s – which becomes even more pronounced when her character is angry or focused. Audiences love Sykes for her clever humor, but also for how she delivers it – it’s as if she’s genuinely surprised by what’s happening, and invites us to share in that feeling of figuring things out alongside her.

I’ve been hearing a lot about Sykes’ new movie, Undercard, and how it’s her first dramatic role, but honestly, it still feels like the Sykes we all know and love. She plays Cheryl Stewart, a former boxer who’s turned her life around from alcohol abuse to becoming a coach, and the character just fits her personality – she’s always been known for that quick wit and slightly fiery energy. The dialogue isn’t overflowing with jokes like her stand-up, but it’s still sharp and to the point. She’s a fantastic actress, always has been, but she’s not completely transforming herself for this part – it’s still recognizably her.

Undercard Underserves Wanda Sykes’ Considerable Talent

Despite a compelling performance by the lead actress, the film ultimately falls short. While the acting is strong, the writing and directing are weak, undermining any sense of realism. Boxing stories naturally fit the classic hero’s journey, but this film doesn’t measure up to other great boxing movies like Creed, Rocky, and Million Dollar Baby.

We first encounter No Mercy while she’s training Kordell, a fast-talking, promising young boxer she’s coached since he was a teenager. She works at Baba T’s, a struggling gym, and its owner, William Stanford Davis, appears to be her only close friend. Even though she has a job and has been sober for four years, Cheryl is surprisingly deep in debt and struggling to pay rent, which creates several problems. She’s also the guardian of her late sister’s daughter, Meeka, and constantly worries that child services will take Meeka away from her.

Facing homelessness is making it incredibly difficult for her to rebuild a relationship with her twenty-two-year-old son, Keith (Bentley Green), a talented boxer whose self-destructive habits keep jeopardizing his career. The story feels overly convenient as Keith repeatedly breaks his promise to avoid his mother, and eventually agrees to let her coach him.

The characters aren’t very believable. The author tries too hard to portray Cheryl as a struggling former champion, giving her too many defining traits without fully developing any of them. A key emotional conflict – the fight for custody of her daughter – is often forgotten and only resurfaces when it’s plot-convenient, specifically when Keith is arrested for drug dealing. Cheryl’s money problems also don’t quite add up, and Keith quickly goes from feeling wronged to completely supporting Cheryl, with very little transition.

The biggest problem with the movie is the inconsistent portrayal of the rivalry between Kordell and Keith. Initially, they’re presented as equals, with Keith even being hyped as the more promising boxer. But later, the story flips, making Kordell seem much stronger and positioning Keith as the underdog. Because the climax of the film focuses on their fight, it’s confusing to follow and hard to know who the audience should support, or even who is expected to win – despite the announcers claiming a Keith victory would be a huge surprise.

I have to be honest, while the lead actress, Sykes, gives it her all, Undercard just doesn’t quite manage to stand out from the crowd. The biggest issue, though, is the budget. Those boxing scenes really highlight how little money they had to work with – the crowds look more like twenty people than a packed arena, despite being portrayed as a big draw. The first half of the movie is okay, it hits all the familiar notes, but the second half? It’s just loaded with every single cliché you’d expect from an underdog sports story. It feels like they ticked off a checklist of tropes, and honestly, it gets a bit predictable.

The film’s title refers to a preliminary boxing match, used to kick off a bigger event. While the filmmaker intended it as a commentary on the struggles of her characters, it ironically reinforces the idea that the film itself feels overshadowed by previous works. The actor Sykes gave a strong performance and deserved a better film.

Undercard has a limited theatrical release on February 27th, 2026.

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2026-02-25 22:02