Rumble Through the Dark (2023) is a gritty thriller directed by Graham and Parker Phillips, starring Aaron Eckhart and Bella Thorne. The film follows Jack Boucher (Eckhart), a former bare-knuckle fighter struggling with a heap of personal and financial troubles. He’s deeply in debt to a dangerous local crime boss, Big Momma Sweet, and is on the verge of losing his foster mother’s antebellum home due to foreclosure. Jack’s health is also rapidly deteriorating, and he faces the dual challenge of needing money to save everything while his body can’t endure the brutal fighting he once thrived on.

The film’s setting in the Mississippi Delta enhances its somber tone, creating a backdrop that adds depth to Jack’s desperate situation. While the premise feels somewhat familiar, Eckhart’s powerful performance anchors the film. However, the subplot involving Bella Thorne’s character, Annette—a dancer for a traveling carnival—feels forced and doesn’t resonate as deeply as the main story. The relationship between Jack and Annette, culminating in an improbable twist, also detracts from the overall emotional impact.