Christy
November 5th, 2025
MOVIE: CHRISTY
STARRING: SYDNEY SWEENEY, BEN FOSTER, MERRITT WEVER, KATY O’BRIAN
DIRECTED BY: DAVID MICHÔD
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 135 MINUTES
There’s always that one movie during awards season that seems to desperately want to prove itself. The makeup is overdone, the physical transformation extreme, whether it’s losing or gaining weight, totally changing the body, or going full method. Austin Butler did it for Elvis, and Daniel Day-Lewis is a master of the craft. This year, Christy, the story of female boxing legend Christy Martin, is the one chasing that awards-season desperation. And unfortunately, it’s this very desperation that keeps the film from feeling authentic. Sydney Sweeney stars as the title character, going all-in on the physical transformation, but the result is a phony production that’s already down for the count halfway through the film.
Directed by David Michôd and co-written by his wife, Mirrah Foulkes, Christy attempts to tell the story of a woman who revolutionized the world of women’s boxing, all while battling a dysfunctional family and an abusive manager, Jim Martin (played by Ben Foster, who delivers the film’s best performance). It’s a familiar rise-and-fall narrative, but unfortunately, the storytelling here doesn’t add anything new to the genre.
Sweeney’s performance is the film’s most obvious attempt to win over audiences, but it’s also the most forced. From her 1980s-inspired fashion- tie-dye and leopard print- to her mullet wig and noticeably altered physique, she clearly committed to the role. But despite all the effort, her portrayal feels like a caricature, not a character. When Christy Martin rises through the boxing ranks, the fight scenes have the hollow feel of a made-for-TV movie. The highs of her WBC super welterweight title victory are undercut by the relentless lows of Jim’s drug use, physical abuse, and exploitation of her success.
That said, it’s not Sweeney or Foster’s fault. The blame lies with Michôd’s direction, which places too much focus on the typical rise-and-fall arc and not enough on Christy’s personal struggles- her complicated sexuality, her estranged family, and how she survived it all. The film relies too heavily on a “standard” approach to storytelling, forcing everything- from the set designs to the costumes and makeup- into an overproduced mold. When Katy O’Brian shows up midway through the film as training partner and love interest Lisa Holewyne, her raw, rugged appearance feels more authentic, especially when compared to Sweeney’s polished, made-up look. O’Brian might have been a better choice for the lead.
Ultimately, Christy doesn’t do anything to separate itself from the glut of other Hollywood boxing movies, and it certainly doesn’t elevate the genre. Earlier this year, The Cut showcased Orlando Bloom’s committed performance, where he lost 52 pounds, but without ever stepping into a boxing ring. That film was far more focused on the internal and external struggles of its character, offering a fresh take on the boxing genre. Christy, on the other hand, simply retreads old ground, telling a familiar story about a champion who deserved a far more compelling film.
2 STARS
CHRISTY IS PLAYING IN THEATERS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
