The new sports film Youngblood tells a story of family, ambition, and racism in the hockey world.
A remake of the 1986 Rob Lowe film by the same name, the new movie stars Canadian actor Ashton James (Boxcutter) as Dean Youngblood, a Black junior hockey phenom from Detroit with dreams of joining the National Hockey League. Emmy winner Blair Underwood co-stars as his stern father Blane.
Youngblood has anger issues and can’t control his temper. After getting a one year suspension for fighting, he loses out on a scholarship.
As he worries about his future, Canada’s Hamilton Mustangs come calling. The team isn’t the best and the coach has a spotty reputation, but it’s his only shot at getting back in the game.
In a recent interview with Urban Hollywood 411, James said director Hubert Davis (Black Ice) assembled a team of hockey experts, to make the action on the ice believable.
“I had two stunt doubles, Dante Jones and Aaron Atwell, and they were amazing,” the actor told us.
There was also a hockey coordinator on set and most of the cast knew their way around the ice.
“A lot of the people who surrounded the film were hockey players who could act, and some were actors who could play hockey,” said James. “We had two days of hockey auditions… that way, they were able to get people who are really able to skate.”
The skating scenes are intense and fast-paced, but Underwood promises there’s something in the film for everyone.
“If you like sports films, I think it’s a great sports film. You’ve got all the action you want… but this is more than just a sports film because of the relationships,” he told us.
Blane loves his son, but the widower is bitter, demanding, and shows Youngblood little affection. The complicated relationship between the father and son drew Underwood to the film.
“The uniqueness of seeing these Black characters, actually in this world of hockey… and the relationship, the emotional journey, was interesting and fascinating to me,” Underwood said.
Youngblood is stubborn like his father and responds to disputes with his fists. Although Mustangs coach Murray Chadwick (Canadian actor Shawn Doyle) warns the young player “violence won’t cut it up here.”
But the coach is white and doesn’t understand Youngblood’s feelings when players from rival teams taunt him with racial slurs.
According to a 2020 analysis by FiveThirtyEight, roughly 90 percent of NHL players were white. While racism is part of the story in Youngblood, Underwood said it’s not the “driving force.”
“This is Dean’s story about how his life is evolving and changing and expressing himself within this world of hockey,” said Underwood. “That’s what makes this film something special.”
The film is written by Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron and the late Charles Officer, and comes from indie distributor Well Go USA Entertainment.
The drama debuted at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics. It currently has an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Youngblood is now playing in theaters. Check local listings for locations.
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