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Tyson

Tyson

TV movie1995104 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Director
Uli Edel
Starring
Michael Jai White, George C. Scott, Paul Winfield, James B. Sikking

The story of Mike Tyson. From his early days as a 12 year old amateur with a powerful punch, to the undisputed title of "Heavyweight Champion of the World", and ultimately to his conviction for rape. The story of his turbulent life moves quickly, never focusing for long on anything in particular.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Tyson?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Tyson streaming on HBO Max via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Tyson?

Tyson earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Tyson worth watching?

Tyson's Midcredits score is the 51st percentile of all films, from 4.4K ratings across 4 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

51st percentile

Better received than 51% of films

26th percentile among Biography54th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)49th
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

61 /100

49th percentile of all films

25th percentile among Biography53rd percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

27th percentile among Biography55th percentile among 1990s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

69th percentile

4.4K ratings across platforms

46th percentile among Biography63rd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A sympathetic but warts-and-all biopic tracing Tyson's rise, exploitation by those around him, and eventual downfall.

Fans praised

  • George C. Scott's uncanny embodiment of Cus D'Amato
  • Michael Jai White captures Tyson's menace, vulnerability and caged-animal intensity
  • Fair-minded portrait that lets viewer decide on controversial aspects

Detractors panned

  • Formulaic made-for-TV feel with rushed pacing skipping deeper moments
  • Michael Jai White lacks the genuine ferocity and unpredictability of the real Tyson
  • Narrative gallops through events without focus or satisfying arc

What stands out

Acting78

Scott and Winfield praised as perfect casting; White divisive for intensity

Characters70

Tyson as complex figure; D'Amato as stabilizing force, King and Givens as exploiters

Effects and spectacle70

Fight choreography praised for accuracy and staging by fans

Atmosphere70

Catches circus-like pressure and mean-streets background of Tyson's world

Emotional impactDivisive68

Fans moved by loss of D'Amato and Tyson's vulnerability; detractors find it manipulative

Plot and story62

Covers rise, key fights, and rape charge but feel rushed and episodic

Pacing58

Gallops through events; feels rushed and lacks depth per detractors

Ending45

Abrupt 1995 cutoff with no trial or redemption; feels incomplete

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Tyson like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film takes a reverent but warts-and-all approach, balancing solemn tragedy with moments of genuine warmth.
The rideThe mood shifts from triumphant during his rise to tense and melancholic as it focuses on his fall and conviction.
StructureConventional chronological biopic tracing Tyson's life from troubled childhood to champion to conviction.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you reflecting on the corrupting influence of fame and the tragic arc of a champion brought down by those closest to him.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA biopic covering Tyson's swift rise and steep fall, focused on how mentors, money and fame shaped his trajectory.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsViolence · 4% of filmsFame · 3% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Tyson's drive to become champion and the violent, fame-fueled consequences that follow.
StanceThe film presents the trajectory of a public figure with a documentary-like neutrality, observing without moralizing.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Stewart Copeland
SettingNew York boxing world from the late 1970s to early 1990s
MusicStewart Copeland's score underscores the turbulent energy of Tyson's life.

Content guide

Is Tyson okay for kids?

Not Rated

Tyson is not rated.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Tyson have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Tyson?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Michael Jai White
as Mike Tyson
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
George C. Scott
as Cus D'Amato
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Paul Winfield
as Don King
James B. Sikking
as Bill Clayton
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
as Rory Holloway
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tony Lo Bianco
as Jim Jacobs
Clark Gregg
as Kevin Rooney
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Holt McCallany
as Teddy Atlas
Kristen Wilson
as Robin Givens
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sheila Wills
as Ruth Roper
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Tyson?

Movies like Tyson include Hands of Stone (2016), The Babe (1992) and Prefontaine (1997). Of the 12 closest matches, most are sports underdog stories, and several are stories about boxers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its subject: ambition. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Tyson?

888 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: con artist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.