Hubert Davis knows how to remake a classic.

A refresh of the 1986 Rob Lowe / Patrick Swayze brat pack film, Youngblood tells the story of Dean Youngblood (Ashton James), an up-and-coming hockey player who struggles to balance his greatness with the puck with his personal volatility. After serving a suspension, Dean finds himself with the unlikely opportunity to play for the Hamilton Mustangs as they approach the playoffs. Even though this is his ‘big break’, it’s also his last shot at redemption. As he battles with toxic teammates and the unreasonable pressures of his father, Blane (Blair Underwood), Dean finds knows he has what it takes but can’t seem to get the chance to prove himself. And then, things become even more complicated when Dean becomes interested in his skeptical coach’s daughter Jessie (Alexandra McDonald).

It’s worth noting that Davis’ love for the original film is noticeable. Despite the changes that he makes, the film manages to tap into many of the film’s key moments through the use of similar cinematography and story beats. He preserves key dialogue, such as “You gotta play by their rules.” He keeps the love story with the coach’s daughter (although Jessie’s storyline here is far more empowering). He even keeps the team’s name as the Hamilton Mustangs. But 2025’s Youngblood is much more than a simple unnecessary retread of an old property.

As a matter of fact, Hubert Davis’ film makes all the right moves.

Davis understands that every film is a product of its time and takes great care to find the right elements to update. For example, in the original classic, Lowe’s Dean learns how to ‘stand up for himself’ through violence. After all, he’s a skills player who doesn’t want to get physical in a league that demands you drop the gloves. This was simply par for the course in the action-80s that featured films like The Karate Kid and Red Dawn. (Even the climax of Back to the Future involves a punch in the face.) These were meant to be stories of triumph over adversity by flying fists (and there’s no better world to set it than in the hockey arena).

However, Davis flips the script. Here, Dean is a troubled young man who has been built by his father to take down the bullies who stand in his way. While Lowe was teased because he wouldn’t get into the fight, James’ greatest issue remains the anger that seethes below the surface. In essence James’ Dean has rage as his fuel, even if his skills with the puck remains his greatest asset.  (And it’s worth noting that young(blood) Ashton James delivers some solid work as Dean. Even at his most violent, James never goes ‘over the top’. Instead, he presents a believable mixture of confidence and determination, while keeping a rising temper bubbling underneath.)

Part of the genius of Davis’ vision stems from the alteration of race within the YoungBlood family. By casting African American actors in the role of Dean and his family, Davis immediately adds a subtext to the film that is more subtle than expected. Here, Dean’s father, Blane, has filled him with anger due to the oppression that he faced for so many years. The trauma that Blane has experienced in the past fuels him to push his son to have that same fury that he needed to have growing up. While it’s never stated that racial tension caused his struggles, we instantly understand that this is the reason for his anger. (“You’re gonna have to work three times harder than everyone else,” Dean is told.)

As a result, Dean believes that he always needs to fight. He’s coached by his father on how to throw a punch and chastised for taking hits without retribution. But Davis doesn’t allow his characters to succumb to rage. Instead, this is a film about directing our frustrations in healthier directions. There’s a recognition that life is about making choices and the responsibility to stand up in the face of adversity lies with us alone. (In fact, this storyline is also echoed through Jessie’s subplot as well.) In this vision of Youngblood, the best way to rise above the world is to unleash your skill, not only your fists.

It’s these changes that makes Davis’ reimagining of Youngblood so much more than the average ‘sports film’. By tweaking a few of the film’s key elements, Davis manages to breathe new life into the story, making it this remake relevant once again. And, in doing so, he makes sure that Youngblood hits when it needs to do so.

Youngblood is available in theatres on March 6th, 2026.