Tyson (2008)

Tyson (2008) is a candid, emotionally charged documentary that traces Mike Tyson’s rise from a frightened boy on Brooklyn’s brutal streets to the uncompromising force who dominated heavyweight boxing — and then to the man confronting the cost of that success. Told largely in Tyson’s own voice and assembled from original interviews, archival fight footage, news clips and family photographs, the film follows the arc of his life: juvenile detention and the discovery of boxing, the mentorship and love of Cus D’Amato, an unbeaten six‑year reign at the top, and the personal and legal crises — a failed marriage, felony conviction and waning discipline — that precipitated his fall. Viewers will experience both the adrenaline of the ring and the quieter, often painful moments behind the headlines. Intimate interviews reveal Tyson’s vulnerabilities, contradictions and attempts to reconcile his past; archival clips and fight scenes provide visceral, up‑close action; and reflective passages offer philosophical, sometimes surprising insight into fatherhood, shame and the search for redemption. Overall, Tyson delivers a sympathetic but unflinching portrait: part sports chronicle, part human study, offering a raw, complex look at a man who was as feared and celebrated as he was misunderstood.

Actors: Mike Tyson, Mills Lane, Trevor Berbick

Director: James Toback

Runtime: 90 min

Genres: Biography, Documentary, Sport

6.8 /10 83 /100 7.4 /10 7.5 /10