In the Shadows review – true tale of Ramla Ali’s remarkable rise through the boxing ranks is a knockout

Jasmine Jobson delivers a compelling performance as the British-Somalian pugilist grappling with her troubled history and familial opposition in a formulaic yet impactful production.

The remarkable journey of boxer Ramla Ali is skillfully portrayed in this competent film crafted by screenwriter Ursula Rani Sarma and documentary maker Anthony Wonke, marking his first foray into feature films. Ali, a British-Somali athlete who fled the Somali civil war as a refugee with her family, made history in 2021 by becoming the first person to represent Somalia in Olympic boxing. Interestingly, the film omits any mention of the boxing significance of her surname—a detail that went unnoticed by me until it appeared in a "fight card" title card ahead of her initial competitive match.

Jasmine Jobson, known for her role in TV's Top Boy, delivers a fierce portrayal of Ali. Her supportive husband Richard, a white Muslim convert who plays a crucial role in helping Ramla defy her disapproving family and pursue her ambitions, is portrayed by Finn Cole. Gershwyn Eustache Jr. takes on the role of her abusive trainer Clinton. The film adeptly navigates classic boxing-movie tropes: the nervous first visit to the gym, the overbearing mentor-like coach, and the nail-biting debut fight. It was refreshing to see the traditional close-up of post-match battered knuckles submerged in an ice bucket. Overall, this film outshines Giant, the recent biographical film about British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem, who receives a brief mention here.