REVIEW: “Christy” Is Not Your Typical Sports Movie

Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) only wanted to play basketball. Filled with aggression and determination, Christy lacked a key ingredient when it comes to having a successful future in basketball, height. When she is thrust into a boxing ring though, she has all the key ingredients to make a great fighter. Quick feet and hard-hitting punches, Christy is taken under the wing of trainer, Jim Flaunting (Ben Foster and her world is turned upside down. As Christy’s popularity in the sport rises, Christy clutches onto Jim for support and guidance, but Jim might not have Christy’s best interest at heart. With no idea who to trust, Christy finds herself not only fighting in the ring but fighting for her personal life as well.

Sweeny completely transforms herself physically and mentally for this role. She gives her heart to a role that is more demanding than any role we have seen her in previously. Christy Martin’s story is not just about boxing, but about the demons she faced outside the ring. Her battle with being one of the first female boxers, others’ views of her sexuality, gaslighting from those she trusts the most, and her own internal demons are all obstacles she had to face. Writers Mirrah Foulkes and David Michôd have taken a story that could have solely focused on Martin’s boxing career and instead takes the audience inside the boxer’s personal world. Without giving too much away, the marketing for this movie tells one story, while the movie tells another.

Foster takes on the role of Martin’s trainer, Jim, and is unrecognizable in this role. The makeup department had their work cut out for them transforming Foster into Jim and they delivered. Foster gives the performance of a lifetime in this role. He manages to capture the sliminess that is Jim Flaunting from the very second, he is introduced on screen. Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, and Ethan Embry round out the cast as Christy’s mother, Joyce Salters, Christy’s biggest boxing rival, Lisa Holewyne, and as Christy’s father, John Salters. All do well in their roles, but I would have liked to have seen more from O’Brian. Lisa and Christy’s relationship is a key part of Christy’s story, and it only played a minor part of the story.

Christy is not your typical sports memoir movie. The story focuses on more than just boxing, it focuses on the struggles Christy faced professionally and personally. This story is not for the faint at heart and may be triggering for some. I highly suggest checking this story out when it becomes available on demand as there are no trigger warnings with the theatrical release.

Grade: B