Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing

Play trailer Poster for Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing 2026 1h 39m Documentary Sports Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing grants rare inside access to Japan's hidden world of sumo. Over a turbulent year, wrestlers at every stage of their career fight to endure, revealing that true strength is measured not in flesh, but in spirit.

Critics Reviews

View More
Philip De Semlyen Time Out Sep 16, 2026
4/5
The secretive world of sumo wrestling gets thoroughly demystified in this enthralling fly-on-the-wall documentary from Erik Shirai. Go to Full Review Guy Lodge Variety Sep 8, 2026
Examining as it does the motivations and ambitions of a number of sumo wrestlers, from grand masters to rising stars, through a solemnly respectful lens, the doc finds humanity and even beauty in what can all too easily be comically framed on screen. Go to Full Review Lee Marshall Screen International Sep 12, 2026
This is a documentary about three young men’s hopes and dreams, but it’s also a yearning, melancholic portrait of a ritualized sport that is seeing fewer and fewer young recruits. Go to Full Review Daniel Howat Next Best Picture Sep 4, 2026
7/10
"Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing" is a gorgeously shot, vulnerable look inside a sport western audiences rarely see, and gives newfound respect to what these dedicated athletes experience. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

View All

Erik Shirai

Director

Terunofuji Haruo

Self

Hiradoumi Yuki

Self

Yonezawaryu Daiki

Self

Kosei Motomura

Self

Teddy Leifer

Producer
View All

Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing grants rare inside access to Japan's hidden world of sumo. Over a turbulent year, wrestlers at every stage of their career fight to endure, revealing that true strength is measured not in flesh, but in spirit.
Director
Erik Shirai
Producer
Teddy Leifer, Sam Stanley, Sigrid Dyekjær, Yusuke Kamata, Erik Shirai
Production Co
ESPN Films, Rise Films, Real Lava, Generation 11
Genre
Documentary, Sports
Original Language
Japanese
Runtime
1h 39m
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings