The true-life tale of British-Somali boxer Ramla Ali gets the big-screen treatment in 'In the Shadows,' a film that proves you can never have too many slow-motion punches to inspirational music. Directed by documentary veteran Anthony Wonke in his feature debut, and written by Ursula Rani Sarma, the movie chronicles Ali's journey from civil war refugee to Olympic history-maker.

Ali, who escaped Somalia's civil war with her family and settled in the UK, became the first person to box for Somalia at the Olympic Games in 2021. The film, however, doesn't dwell on the obvious symbolism of her last name - a fact you might only catch if you're paying attention to the 'fight card' intertitle before her first bout. But hey, subtlety is for losers, right?

Jasmine Jobson, of 'Top Boy' fame, brings fierce energy to the role of Ali, while Finn Cole plays her supportive white Muslim-convert husband Richard, a key figure in helping her defy her disapproving family. Gershwyn Eustache Jr. rounds out the cast as Clinton, her abusive trainer. The film hits all the classic boxing-movie beats: the nervous first gym appearance, the overbearing quasi-parental coach, the heart-stopping debut fight. And yes, there's the obligatory closeup of sore fists in an ice bucket - because nothing says 'boxing movie' like frostbitten knuckles.

All in all, 'In the Shadows' lands its punches more effectively than 'Giant,' the recent biopic of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem, who gets a brief shoutout here. So if you're in the mood for a predictable but well-executed underdog story, this one's a knockout - or at least a solid decision win.