Boxing movies stand apart from other sports dramas for the sheer energy and underdog spirit they bring to the screen. From Rocky to Raging Bull, the legacy of movies about the sweet science has fascinated viewers for decades. In 1951, young director Stanley Kubrick directed a short documentary titled Day of the Fight, which followed middleweight boxer Walter Cartier as he prepared for a match-up at Madison Square Garden in New York. Actor Jack Huston was fascinated by that film and wrote a film using the same title but chronicling a much different lead-up to a prize fight.

Day of the Fight follows Mike Flannigan (Michael Pitt), a former champion boxer who spent years in prison after an accident claimed the life of a child. Given a chance to redeem himself in the ring, Irish Mike travels around New York City to make amends with people from his past while also...