Undercard Review – A Tense Family Drama with Strong Character Driven Performances
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 14:04
- Written by Janet Walker
Undercard, from Catalyst Studios and Seismic Releasing, brings to the screen a redemption drama, as Cheryl "No Mercy" Jackson, a two-time former boxing champion seeks to restore her reputation, and repair the relationship with the son she abandoned.
The film begins at Baba T's boxing gym, in Liberty City, Florida, we see Cheryl "No Mercy" Jackson, played by Wanda Sykes coaching her protégé, Kordell, played by Xavier Mills, a young boxer who shows promise, and she is forcing him to decide on his future, a champion or not.
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Baba T, played by William Stanford Davis, runs the gym known for producing champions, has been in Cheryl's corner from her days when her name and reputation were enough to fill the gym with hopefuls.
Cheryl has seen some hard times, a struggling alcoholic and drug addict, she lost everything, and during the hardest days, she abandoned her son, Keith, played by Bentley Green, and let her mother raise him. Today, he is 21 and she is four years sober, and while she is trying, each day remains a struggle to make amends and each day she tries to speak with her son.
On this day, she is the caregiver to her sister's child, Meka, played by Estella Kahiha, and even though she is attending the meetings, and reinforcing the steps, she can feel herself sliding, Each day, she marks the calendar, one more day sober. We also meet her girlfriend, Mariana, played by Roslyn Sanchez.
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She tries again to visit her son, who spews bitterness and venom at her, his words sting like jabs to the body. Even as she tries to explain that she is better, she is trying, her words fall on deaf ears. His anger at her inability to manage her past, mixed with his abandonment issues and his feelings that she didn't love him enough to keep her drug free cause him to try to pull her away from sobriety. She tries to help, and at this point he rejects her again, and hoping to tempt her, he puts a blunt into her shirt pocket.
We also find out that Cheryl and Keith are mirrors of each other. Besides both having boxing skills, each have the same emotional issues, they both sell drugs as a side hustle, and are quick tempered.
Throughout all this, she and Meka are evicted, and the pressure seems to squeeze her on all sides, until she smokes the joint her son gave her. For an addict, this is a slippery slope and quickly becomes out of control.
Keith, a naturally gifted fighter, relies on raw talent, but lacks discipline and focus, and without that he cannot reach the top. After a devastating loss caused by his gambling-addicted trainer, Hector, played by Berto Colon, Keith's career loses direction and his confidence takes a hit.
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Just as things appear to be changing and Cheryl convinces Keith to let her coach him her protégé, Kordell, who she spent nine years coaching, is poached by Hector, and for Cheryl it is a tough loss.
Cheryl sees a chance not only to save her son's career, but to reclaim the family she lost. With everything on the line, she and the son she lost enter an uneasy partnership, balancing ambition, forgiveness, and the price of a second chance.
This ushers in the final tense and unpredictable act, and some of the best scenes in the film.
As it is the director's responsibility to extract the best performances from the talent, and as an indie project Undercard's director Tamika Miller seems to have sacrificed achieving the best performances, which may be out of budget consideration, for acceptable performances.
There were many strong choices, which translated onto the screen. During the intensity of the training, Miami Beach is used as the backdrop and creates a duality that plays well. There were good moments between the young African American talent, as they portrayed strong attitude that could be felt. The bitterness between mother and son, also played very well.
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With that said, the scenes between Wanda Sykes and Roslyn Sanchez translated to a friendly, non-sexual relationship, as the kissing scene, while I assume were meant to be a simple good night kiss, translated to a sisterly affection. The scene lacked warmth or passion, and it just wasn't working.
Sans the kissing scenes, Sykes gives a strong performance as a recovering junkie/addict with decades of regrets and baggage.
The film accurately portrays the social ills which inundate African American communities, including the liquor store on every corner, and the general acceptance of drugs, and worse the belief that cannabis is not a drug, and that it is medicinal. Personal opinions aside, any substance that depletes performance, or hamstrings abilities, is detrimental.
Undercard, a tense family drama, delivers strong character driven performances. Undercard opens exclusively in theaters February 27, 2026.
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Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Runtime: 90 minutes.
Release date: February 27, 2026.
Director: Tamika Miller.
Producer: Produced by: Tamika Miller, Anne Clements, Frances Lausell, Andrés Ramírez Molina.
Executive Producer: Wanda Sykes, Holly Levow, Mark Pennell, Paul Kampf.
Writer: Anita M. Cal, Tamika Miller.
Cast: Wanda Sykes, Bentley Green, Estella Kahiha, Xavier Mills, William Stanford Davis, Berto Colón, Jacnier, Danny Pardo, Arischa Conner, Hiram Delgado, Alfredo De Quesada, Lionel Johnson Jr., Javen Lewis, Sugar Shane Mosley, Marcos Rivera, and Roselyn Sánchez.
Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
