Anti-Black racism is a nuisance that has pervaded the world of all sports, but in hockey its prevalence is particularly pronounced. Some estimates place the percentage of Black players in the National Hockey League at only 3–5%, and perhaps because of their relative lack of representation, the backlash against them is loud. So much so that director Hubert Davis made a 2022 documentary about it, Black Ice, and now a feature film. Youngblood, which is a direct remake of the 1986 Rob Lowe vehicle of the same name, subverts the bog-standard sports movie with a subtle, yet forceful look at this scourge, pressing its viewers to learn how to discern between the hard knocks of professional hockey and the nefariousness of bigotry.
Youngblood Review: Remake of Rob Lowe’s 1986 Hockey Film Powerfully Subverts the Sports Movie as an Anti-Racist Screed
