Sports movies are fast becoming a cliche, if they ever weren’t. The triumph against all odds stories so prevalent in many of them is hard to make fresh. And coming off two last year, the wrestling drama Unstoppable that merged family with domestic abuse, and the female boxing story, The Fire Within both had similar trajectories, with the latter standing out. And now comes a corker of a true story, also set in the world of women’s boxing, Christy starring Sydney Sweeney as Christy Martin, a celebrated female boxer who was the first ever to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but also led a very dark life of domestic abuse, drugs, and a trainer-husband who nearly killed her.
It is all in this overlong (at 135 minutes), somewhat repetitive, and finally in the third act excruiating to watch. That it is all true is credit to the resilience of the real Christy Martin, who survived the unthinkable and now is a champion against domestic abuse, as well as a boxing promoter. She’s still in the ring and that is something remarkable.
It all starts in her small town in West Virginia, where her talent at boxing is noticed early in high school. “I just want to knock people out,” she says non-chalantly. In no time she is noticed and hits regional boxing matches, soon hooking up with a trainer who was at first skeptical, but not for long as Jim Martin (Ben Foster) exploits her talents, and in seemingly no time asks her to marry him even though he is twice her age. He had suspected she might be a lesbian and wanted to nip that in the bud apparently. She says ‘yes’ and the film quickly jumps from the early 90’s to 1995 where they are already fighting with each other, as well as in the ring.
In by-the-biopic-numbers fashion the movie chronicles her rise to Vegas and the big time, highlighted by a meeting with the legendary promoter, Don King (played with style and fun by Chad Coleman) who dismisses the egotistical Jim’s influence, and sizes her up this way: “You’re a coal miner’s daughter who wears pink trunks and sleeps with the corner man!” Nailed it. But he signs her up and takes her to another level putting her on undercards with major boxing matches where she demolishes most of her opponents. She also is branding herself with the color pink, not only with what she wears plus her shoes, but even her car. We also get the usual boxing montage as her success grows (Stallone should get residuals for every film that includes these).
There is trouble in paradise as Michod’s film (he wrote the script with Mirrah Foulkes from a story by Katherine Fugate) also focuses on the dark side of fame living with a man who beats her up and dominates her life in every way. Soon the movie jumps decades to around 2003 as she struggles in her marriage, increasingly in fear of Jim, but also in the ring, especially in a bout with a legend’s daughter, Laila Ali who knocks her out in four rounds. Common to these hard-to-believe stories it is down hill from there, especially in her relationship with Jim who again suspects her lesbian tendencies, noticing what he thinks is a too-close meeting with longtime friend, Lisa Holwyne (Katy O’Brian in nice turn). But you ain’t seen nothing yet when for whatever reason she returns home after leaving Jim and, as he once threatened, attempts to kill her.
The film’s third act basically leaves most of the boxing behind to focus on this harrowing domestic abuse, and in that way I was reminded of films like Star 80, the playboy starlet Dorothy Stratten eventually murdered by her jealous manager husband, and also Ike Turner’s abuse of Tina in What’s Love Got To Do With It. It is certainly the stuff of drama and the premiere audience I saw the film with at its unveiling today at the Toronto Film Festival, was audibly shocked.
Sweeney delivers , and then some. putting her all into this sometimes extremely dark tale, and really does show she has the acting chops to pull it off, as if we didn’t already know. Foster, who was so good as Henry Haft in another brutal boxing story, The Survivor, here is on the other side playing a despicable man who fortunately now in real life is in prison. Foster is always convincing (if not his blonde wig) and her plays it to the hilt. Merritt Weaver is cooly fine as a mother who isn’t all that lovable, and the rest of the cast also deliver what is asked.
If only the movie didn’t feel like we have seen this before because Martin’s personal story, and the way she continues to admirably live her life (she married Holowyne in 2017) is worthy of it being told to as many people as possible. Let’s hope Christy, despite its flaws gets an audience for that reason alone.
Producers are Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Teddy Schwarzman, Brent Stiefel, Justin Lothrop, Michôd, and Sweeney
Title: Christy
Festival: Toronto Film Festival
Distributor: Black Bear
Release Date: November 7, 2025
Director: David Michod
Screenplay: David Michod and MIrrah Foulkes. Story by Katherine Fugate
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad Coleman, Bryan Hibbard, Tony Cavalero, Gilbert Cruz
Running Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
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