Giant Film Review: A Story of Success

A superb Amir El-Masry and chirpy Pierce Brosnan lead in Giant, a tale of how determination can get you to reach heights you could only dream of.

It also highlights the continuous racist comments Naz received throughout his career, which spurred him on to become one of the greatest boxers of all time. 

Ingle is played by an ambitious Brosnan, drawing into his own Irish roots as Ingle himself was from Dublin. Whilst maybe not a standout of Brosnan’s career, it’s one that is entertaining enough to watch from start to finish. We learn about Ingle as a manager/trainer in Giant and the decisions he made for Naz to aid him under his wing. He took him in and acted almost like a father figure, even bringing him to his house and spending just as much time with him as his own kids, creating a seemingly unbreakable bond between the two. But they weren’t destined to be a duo for their entire lives, as they parted ways at the height of Naz’s career and never reconciled. 

But, the spiel here is really with Naz’s vocation. His rise to stardom is nothing short of a legends tale. An extremely cocky persona in and out of the ring is what kept him grounded, ironically. He knew he was great and never let anyone convince him otherwise. Hate and prejudice was shouted at him, even if he didn’t say a word. He couldn’t stop it, only embrace it to fuel his performance. Was he sometimes over the top in his showy-off-behavior? Yes. Isn’t everyone once in a while, though? When you’re good at your art and have worked years perfecting it, you should be able to shout from the rooftops that this is your forte. El-Masry is at the top of his game, too, in Giant just like his character. His execution of Naz is what makes the film standout. 

Director and writer Rowan Athale has a couple of features under his belt already, with both others being thrillers, marking this as his first pure drama and biopic. It’s not his first time working with A-Listers though, having worked with the likes of Brian Cox and Margaret Qualley in Strange But True. 

There are moments of repetition in Giant, especially with the same journalist (played by a delightful Olivia Barrowclough in many different wigs) coming to visit the gym, an important part of the story as she refuses to interview Naz at first, but by the fourth visit, it’s excessive. The script isn’t as polished as it could have been, maybe resulting in the cut of Naz’s scenes without Ingle around. This makes it unclear if the film’s main protagonist is Ingle or Naz, or if they’re meant to be seen as equals. Is the titular ‘giant’ Ingle because of his powerful managerial role or Naz because of his mammoth career? If it’s Naz, why not call the film ‘Prince’, after his nickname, or something more specific to either of the two.

It’s an interesting, mostly compelling premise that just feels slightly unfinished. The story is there to tell, after all, it’s unravelled in real life already. Both deserve the recognition for their parts in the leadup to Naz’s fame, but with the drama that unfolds between the two, it tries to stay unbiased, never revealing too much of what actually went down. 

Giant will be screened at the BFI London Film Festival on 18-19 October, 2025 and released in U.K. and Irish cinemas on January 9, 2026.