Shadowboxer

Shadowboxer follows Mikey and Rose, two professional killers who are also lovers. Rose once knew Mikey's father, and she has been diagnosed with cancer, so she intends a job for a gangster named Clayton to be her last. When the pair reach their target, Clayton's pregnant girlfriend Vicki, Rose cannot go through with the killing. Instead she helps deliver the baby and persuades Mikey to protect mother and child from the man who ordered the hit, leaving the three of them on the run as Rose's health declines and Mikey takes on the role of provider for their makeshift family.

The 2005 film is the directorial debut of Lee Daniels, who had established himself as a producer before going on to direct six further features, among them Precious, The Butler and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Will Rokos wrote the screenplay, and Daniels produced with Lisa Cortés and Damon Dash through Lee Daniels Entertainment and Teton Films. Helen Mirren plays Rose and Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Mikey, with Vanessa Ferlito as Vicki, Stephen Dorff as Clayton, Macy Gray as Neisha and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Dr. Don among a credited cast of 22.

Receiving a wide release in September 2005, the film runs 93 minutes and blends action and crime with family drama. Its ratings sit below the midpoint across audiences and critics alike: 5.5 out of 10 on IMDb from around 7,100 votes, 5.1 out of 10 on TMDB from a much smaller sample, and a critics' score of 4.3 out of 10 from 58 reviews.