MOVIE · 2005

The Ringer

Comedy94 min

Buried in debt and pushed by his greedy uncle, Steve Barker cooks up a con that hinges on the upcoming Special Olympics: he’ll pose as mentally challenged and try to win. Johnny Knoxville is Steve, a down-on-his-luck schemer whose plan starts to unravel once he’s surrounded by the athletes he means to use. Brian Cox’s uncle keeps the pressure on from the outside, turning Steve’s bad idea into something bigger and harder to back out of. The comedy is built around that uncomfortable setup, with Steve forced to reckon with the people behind the competition instead of just the prize.