Christy – Film Review
by Craig Doyle

Director: David Michôd
Writers: David Michôd, Mirrah Foulkes, Katherine Fugate
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Weaver

Sydney Sweeney’s initial transition from television to the big screen focused on more light-hearted projects, like the raunchy rom-com ‘Anyone But You’, and Sony’s Spiderman spin-off ‘Madame Web’. Sweeney doesn’t hold her punches here, leaning into the dark, dramatic elements which catapulted her to fame in ‘Euphoria’, with ‘Christy’.

‘Christy’ tells the heroic story of Christy Martin, a ground-breaking boxer in the 90s, putting her sport on the map, breaking glass ceilings and taking no prisoners while doing so. Sweeney portrays the boxer, in the decade-spanning story, from her rural life in West Virginia until her last fights and transition to a coach.

Her visual transformation across the decades was particularly well done. The make-up and costuming contributed to the story hugely, her hair growing long as well at the behest of Christy’s trainer, turned abusive husband Jim Martin, displaying the power dynamics poignantly.

Ben Foster’s unsettling performance as Jim steals the show here. The dichotomy between Jim the trainer and Jim the husband left me feeling like he could explode at any second. Every time he appeared on screen, I was left holding my breath; his command of the role was simply fantastic. Their shifting dynamics as the years progressed felt natural; as Christy matured, so did Sweeney’s performance, as Jim further deteriorated, so did Foster.

The relationship between Christy and her mother, excellently portrayed by Merritt Weaver, was another highlight. Her denial and disappointment of her daughter’s sexuality and experiences are heartbreaking, almost mirroring Christy’s relationship with Jim. The source of Christy’s repression remains tragically consistent throughout – her lack of development crushing when Christy comes forward to her about her experience of abuse at the hands of Jim. Weaver’s condescending delivery received laughs of shock at my screening, as we struggled to grasp the lack of humanity which was being presented.

The film flourishes when it focuses on the dark, unsettling elements of these relationships, doing a fantastic job at building suspense – particularly in those gruelling final few minutes. The stark portrayal of abuse on screen was jarring, but necessary, not having it in the shadows but centre-stage, showing the harsh reality Christy faced and how she came out of it alive.

As a character-driven drama, the film excels; however, as a sports biopic, it sometimes falters, falling into many of the similar tropes and story beats as the copy-and-paste format we’ve become accustomed to. The fight choreography is not particularly gripping, disappointing as the film is beautifully shot otherwise.

Despite lending itself to these tropes, ‘Christy’ shines as an excellent character drama, with standout performances and a story of triumph and survival.