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FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (12A)

WRESTLING may be fixed but the lovable rogues in writer-director Stephen Merchant’s rousing comedy drama feel refreshingly real.

Fighting With My Family tells the rags-to-riches true story of Saraya “Paige” Bevis, a goth girl from Norwich who became an unlikely star of American wrestling.

Rising star Florence Pugh bodyslams the role of the plucky outsider holding us in vice-like grip with an athletic turn that’s packed with heart and humour.

And the title isn’t all about the pun – in an early scene, we see little Saraya being choked by her older brother Zak.

Their parents, ex-con Ricky and his adoring wife Julia (Nick Frost and Lena Headey) are appalled.

They tell the boy he isn’t holding her tightly enough. Then they sit back to see if the girl can find a way to break the hold.

As the kids grow into young adults (played by Pugh and Jack Lowden), we see the family star in wrestling shows at the civic centres of Norfolk.

Half-packed crowds lose their minds as Saraya (now Britani) and Zak (stage name Zak Zodiac) hurl each other against the ropes.

These events are more World Of Sport than WWE, but they’ve tried to import some of the gimmicks from American wrestling.

This very British comedy then gives way to the inspirational US sports movie when Zak and Saraya audition for the WWE.

She is selected for a wrestling camp in Florida but he is told he doesn’t have the X factor.

When Saraya, who adopts the stage name Paige, discovers the other female wrestlers at the training camp are all models, she wonders whether motormouthed trainer Hutch (a funnyagain Vince Vaughn) has made a mistake.

“I love your accent,” one tells her. “You sound like a Nazi from a movie!”

Indeed, Paige has to find her own voice if she wants to survive.

“Don’t worry about being the next me,” producer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tells the wresting siblings in a hugely entertaining cameo. “Be the first you.”

That’s a standard message for an inspirational Hollywood film.

But Merchant subverts it by turning attention to Zak, who sees his dream become a nightmare.

While his sister is living the high life in sunny Florida, he’s falling apart in rainy Norwich.

Lowden is so heartbreakingly brilliant, he nearly overturns the whole film.

Then comes a slightly confusing finale.

Up until now, the characters have been honest about wrestling being fixed.

But when Paige gets into the ring for a world title fight, we’re suddenly expected to believe it’s real.

This wrestling move sent my head spinning but my heart soared regardless.