Dangal (2016)

Mahavir Singh Phogat pushes his daughters into wrestling before they ever get a say, and Dangal decides a little too quickly that he was right. The girls’ early tears get treated as a phase, and that’s an honest weak spot. So is a national coach written as a sneering cartoon. Everything else is terrific. Aamir Khan plays Mahavir across decades, from a fit young champion to a gruff, graying father who cheers with his whole face, and he doesn’t sand down the stubbornness. Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar are wonderful as young Geeta and Babita, especially in the dusty village matches where the girls take on boys and the crowd can’t believe its eyes. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra carry the second half with real grit. The wrestling is shot like real sport, every hold and point easy to follow. It runs 161 minutes and earns them. It made $303.7 million worldwide. An 8.6 because it’s a crowd-pleaser with real muscle. $25.16 says you set a sunrise alarm for a workout tomorrow and then hit snooze with total conviction.

What works: Aamir Khan’s restrained performance and the four actresses playing Geeta and Babita make the family feel real, and the matches are thrilling and easy to follow.

What doesn’t: The film sides with Mahavir’s harsh methods a little too easily, and the national coach is a one-note villain.

Who it’s for: Sports movie fans of any background who want a big, emotional underdog story with matches they can actually follow.