Sydney Sweeney came out swinging with a knockout performance in David Michôd’s biopic Christy, instantly cementing herself as an Oscar contender.

Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) grew up in a small West Virginia town with little sense of what her future held—until she realized she has a natural gift for boxing. With sheer grit, unrelenting drive, and an obsession with winning, she fought her way into the sport, guided by her trainer-turned-husband, Jim (Ben Foster).

Inside the ring, Christy exuded confidence and ferocity, but outside it she faced far greater struggles. Wrestling with family tensions, questions of identity, and an increasingly dangerous marriage, her fight became as much about survival as sport. Inspired by the extraordinary true story, the film captures Christy Martin’s journey of perseverance, bravery, and reclaiming control of her life.

Christy Martin put women’s boxing on the map. Her name sounded vaguely familiar to me going into the film, partly because of Laila Ali’s August 2003 fourth-round bout against her. When you grow up in Louisville, Ky., anything Ali-related makes the news. It’s been so many years that I can’t recall whether I read the Sports Illustrated issue with Christy on the cover, but her story stuck in the cultural memory. As the film shows, Martin’s life was more than worthy of a feature treatment. Some scenes are difficult to watch—one in particular is harrowing—but the film ultimately delivers a message of resilience in the face of staggering adversity.

Sports biopics can be hit or miss, depending on the story being told. While the performances here are top-notch, the hair and makeup team fall short in aging the actors believably—characters look virtually unchanged in 2010 compared to 1989. It’s a distracting flaw that points to the broader challenges of the biopic form, especially in spanning decades. Perhaps Mirrah Foulkes and David Michôd could have narrowed their focus to a smaller window of time, but then we wouldn’t get the larger picture of Christy’s life and career.

Sweeney grew up training in kickboxing and grappling, so the athletic aspects of the film were firmly in her wheelhouse. That background shows in the ring, where she brings conviction and authenticity to the fight scenes, a testament to the work she put in before the cameras rolled.

The least surprising standout is Ben Foster, who completely disappears into the role of Jim Martin. This comes as no shock to anyone who saw his career-best turn in The Survivor. His transformation here is so seamless that you forget you’re watching Ben Foster at all—a mark of just how committed he is to the role.

As much as the film tracks Christy’s boxing career, it’s equally about her abusive relationship with Jim. There are moments when you find yourself urging her to leave, but she never does. Not even when confronting her mother, Joyce (Merritt Wever), who tragically buys into Jim’s twisted reality. That lack of family support only deepens the tragedy when Jim stabs and shoots Christy, leaving her for dead. The fact that she managed to stumble outside and summon help is nothing short of miraculous.

The film also acknowledges Christy’s LGBTQ identity. When we first meet her, she’s in a relationship with Rosie (Jess Gabor). After one of her matches, she’s approached about meeting Jim Martin and warned that he’s a “family man.” Training under him not only draws her into an abusive marriage but also forces her to end things with Rosie. Decades later, Christy finally finds the chance to live authentically in a relationship with former boxing rival Lisa Holewyne (Katy O’Brian), bringing a measure of healing and hope to her story.

Sports biopics often risk formula, but Christy succeeds in reminding us why these stories matter. Anchored by Sydney Sweeney’s knockout performance and supported by a strong ensemble, the film captures both the triumphs and the bruises of a life lived in and out of the ring.

DIRECTOR: David Michôd
SCREENWRITERS: Mirrah Foulkes & David Michôd
CAST: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad Coleman, Bryan Hibbard, Tony Cavalero, Gilbert Cruz

Christy holds its world premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations program. Black Bear will release the film on November 7, 2025. Grade: 4/5

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