Dhruv Trivedi
‘Bruised’ is a sports drama film that follows the journey of a disgraced MMA fighter as she struggles to get back into the ring while also mending her relationship with her young, estranged son. It is emotionally heavy and finds Jackie Justice at rock bottom. With no one to count on and a son who has no one but her in the world, the former professional fighter repeatedly finds herself in hopeless situations.
Very much the product of her environment, Jackie’s story is brought to life through a tragic character and an equally dismal backdrop, consisting of broken homes in seedy neighborhoods. In contrast, the wild energy of the training gym makes for an appropriate setting for her to take back control of her life. So, are you wondering where ‘Bruised’ was filmed? We’ve got the story!
Bruised Filming Locations
‘Bruised’ was filmed in New Jersey, which is also where the story is set. The production team filmed on-location in multiple indoor and outdoor spots, including actual training arenas. Lead actress and director Halle Berry reportedly suffered broken ribs while filming a fight scene and powered through to minimize disturbing the production schedule. Thus, the shoot was only briefly delayed and concluded on December 20, 2019. Now let’s take a look at the specific locations used to bring the movie to life.
Atlantic City, New Jersey
The production crew spent a significant time lensing in Atlantic City, where many of the film’s large-scale professional MMA fight scenes were filmed. The historic Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, located at 2301 Boardwalk, stands in for the sports arena where the protagonist fights some decisive battles.
An MMA octagon was also reportedly built inside the arena as part of the film set. This is also where Berry seemingly got injured since some of the most intense fight scenes were filmed in the arena during the first leg of production.
Newark, New Jersey
A bulk of the principal photography for ‘Bruised’ was carried out in Newark, New Jersey, including the shooting of multiple scenes on the city’s streets. Locations on Broad Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, were used for filming. A few traffic restrictions were also put in place around Mount Pleasant Avenue and Broad Street while the production crew used these locations to shoot multiple scenes.
The area around Mount Pleasant Avenue is also depicted as the protagonist’s regular stomping grounds, where she attends training after dropping her son off at school. The Elite Heat Boxing Gym, situated nearby at 130 Mount Pleasant Avenue, was also used extensively to film scenes of Berry’s character getting back into shape for her shot at the title.
A few other locations around Newark, both indoor and outdoor, were also seemingly used for authentically bringing the gritty sports drama to life.
Read More: Is Bruised Based on a True Story?
