The Battle Of The Sexes review

A documentary about a bizarre tennis (mis)match

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.

The bizarre (mis) match between reigning Wimbledon champion Billie Jean King and Austin Powers-alike Bobby Riggs gripped the world in 1973, for all the latter’s Stone Age chauvinism.

As fascinating as it is to relive, James Erskine’s documentary struggles to make the episode a metaphor for sexism in society – an issue too big to be boiled down to one gender-politics sideshow.

King, then and now, exudes dignity, good humour and forbearance – qualities you wish some of the players who followed in her wake, included here as bland talking heads, displayed as readily.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.