'Certified Fresh' inspirational sports movie starring Star Wars alum now on Disney Plus
Daisy Ridley stars in this true tale that critics and audiences loved.
![Daisy Ridley in Young Woman and the Sea](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/44uPU2QbTPwQQUas6cVEYH-320-80.jpg)
Remember the Titans; The Mighty Ducks; The Rookie; Miracle. These are just some of the great, inspirational sports movies that Disney has been behind over the years. They have another one that could soon be added to the list that is now streaming on Disney Plus — Young Woman and the Sea.
The 2024 new movie is based on the true story of Trudy Ederle, depicting her pursuit to become the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. It stars Daisy Ridley, best known of course for her role as Rey in the most recent Star Wars big-screen trilogy, as well as Stephen Graham, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Sian Clifford, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston and Glenn Fleshler. The movie was directed by Joachim Rønning.
Critics were big fans of this sports movie, as Young Woman and the Sea was "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with a very strong 87%. However, audiences loved it even more, as 98% of Rotten Tomatoes users who saw the movie gave it a positive rating. Though the movie was released in movie theaters at the end of May this year, it is about to get its widest audience yet when it lands on Disney Plus.
This is actually a long time coming for the movie. Young Woman and the Sea was originally going to be a Disney Plus original movie, but following strong test scores with testing audiences, Disney opted to give the movie a limited theatrical release, as first reported by Deadline. Now, about six weeks after its run in theaters began, it is finally hitting streaming.
Young Woman and the Sea is not currently available via digital on-demand platforms, so having a Disney Plus account is the only way you can watch the movie right now. If you are not signed up for the streamer, it is available as a standalone service in the US and the UK, but US consumers can also opt to bundle it with Hulu and ESPN Plus in what is known as the Disney Bundle.
Also, if after watching the movie you are still interested in learning more about Trudy Ederle, you can read the book the movie is based on, Young Woman and the Sea by Glenn Stout.
Check out the trailer for Young Woman and the Sea right here:
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Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.