Christy starts in West Virginia, where the main character, Christy Salters (Sydney Sweeney), is approaching boxing for the first time through the Toughwoman competition. Her constant winning and approach to the sport will not let her go unnoticed, and she starts proper training in boxing with her then coach Jim Martin (Ben Foster), whom she marries shortly after. As she makes her debut in professional boxing, Christy continues to win, and her career eventually soars while she remains trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage.
The first half of the film entirely lacks stakes as the audience witnesses Christy constantly winning and prevailing over her opponents. While this might have happened in real life, it would have been nice to also show the moments when Christy struggled in her career or when she faced challenges and self-doubt. It also seems like Christy is struggling to figure out what it wants to be: part sports movie, part biopic but with far too many themes mixed all together with very little exploration of any of them initially. As a result, the first act of the film does not properly explore the gender bias against Christy in a male-dominated sport, nor her sexuality that her parents disapproved of, nor the control her husband and manager had on her appearance and overall behaviour. This is a shame, as all of these topics individually would have been extremely fascinating to explore.
Despite the slow start, Christy eventually picks up, and when it does, it soars. The third act is significantly more memorable and impactful than anything we have seen in the previous two acts, as the movie finally manages to find its true focus. Once it delves into the abusive and problematic relationship between Christy and her husband, it truly finds its feet by focusing on the domestic abuse in a very powerful and memorable way. This allows it to become especially memorable and powerful, becoming much more interesting and fascinating than a regular biopic that often only appeals to fans of a specific historical figure or famous person.
The more Christy goes on, the more we feel for its main character, thanks to Sydney Sweeney's groundbreaking and compelling performance that gives the audience a layered, emotional, and real portrayal. Admittedly, Christy can be unlikable at times, but this is just a testament to how well her character development comes across in the film. Not only does this make her feel a lot more like a real person who would naturally have her faults and unlikable sides, but it also allows her to grow as a character into someone that the audience both roots for and is proud of.
As far as biopics go, Christy is an excellent example of how to use this genre to tell stories that can resonate with the general public. Not only for fans of boxing or people who may be familiar with Christy Salters already, this is truly a film that can appeal to a wide variety of audiences, anchored in an excellent central performance by Sydney Sweeney, who might very well be at her best in this movie.
Christy was a Gala screening at the London Film Festival 2025
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