Sons Of Cuba review

It's an emotional tale of blood, sweat and tears for child boxers in Cuba...

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Cuba produces the world’s most fearsome Olympic boxers. Why? Because training begins at 4am when you’re nine years old.

Brit director Andrew Lang’s astute and affectionate doc follows three talented tiny hit-men (the golden boy who lost in last year’s finals, the babe who lost his mother, the former dancer who hates to hurt people) through their punishing training program as they battle poverty and the pressure of Olympic dreams.

Blood, sweat and tears – check, check, check.

What catches you at an angle is the political left-hook, as we watch Castro fill the boys’ heads with Communism dogma on TV.