Glass Chin

Bud Gordon was once a celebrated boxer. Now he lives with his girlfriend in a modest apartment in New Jersey and longs for the glory of days gone by. Bud wants to get back in the game—and gets involved in shady deals with a corrupt bar owner. And that’s bound to come with its share of difficulties, which put Bud’s morals to the test... With his modern film noir, director Noah Buschel offers a pleasantly understated deconstruction of the classic boxer drama. Instead of sweat-drenched action in the ring, the film focuses on a cool, literary-style tragedy set in the urban landscape of New York. At the center is Bud Gordon, magnificently portrayed by Corey Stoll, whose physical presence stands in contrast to his moral fragility. Buschel directs the story of a fallen athlete who strikes a deal with the devil (brilliantly sleazy: Billy Crudup) with an almost theatrical rigor. The corresponding visual language of cinematographer Ryan Samul captivates with static, detached shots reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s melancholic paintings. Paired with the actors’ polished dialogue, an intellectual crime drama unfolds that dissects the inevitability of moral decay.