“Christy,” directed by David Michôd, premiered Thursday evening at the Paramount Theater for the second day of the 2025 Virginia Film Festival. The film is a biopic of real-life boxing star Christy Martin, played by Sydney Sweeney, chronicling her rise and resilience. Produced by Black Bear Pictures, the screening marks a new chapter for Sweeney.
Written by Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, the film follows Martin’s remarkable rise from growing up in small-town West Virginia to becoming one of the most influential female boxers of the 1990s. Through tightly choreographed fight sequences and harrowing abuse scenes, the film chronicles both public triumphs and private horrors. It traces the abuse she faced from her trainer-turned-husband, Jim Martin, played by Ben Foster, to her eventual reclamation of identity when she came out as gay.
What makes “Christy” a strong addition to this year’s VAFF is how completely Sweeney immerses herself in the role of the film’s namesake boxer. Since her breakout as Cassie Howard in “Euphoria,” Sweeney has been both celebrated and criticized for the hypersexualized roles that defined her early career. Those headlines, combined with her history in and after “Euphoria” of playing blonde bombshell roles, have often overshadowed her craft.
However, in “Christy,” gone is the polished version of her previous characters. Sweeney trades her typical glamor for grit, swapping her long blonde hair for a short brown mullet, dressing almost exclusively in sweats and athletic gear. She trained for months with real boxers, reportedly gaining muscle and performing many of her own stunts. Her movements are physical and raw, filled with emotion, in a visceral, grounding way that makes Martin’s resilience feel fully embodied.
While “Christy” centers on the brutality of boxing, its real power lies in its exploration of endurance, self-definition and will to keep fighting after the gloves come off. At its core, “Christy” is about perseverance. And at its center stands Sweeney, giving the most commanding performance of her career to date.
“I think the tone and the entire genre of the movie is very different from anything she’s really done before … It takes on a more serious tone," Phoebe Helms, audience member and graduate Batten student, said.
“Christy” simultaneously honors the struggles and wins of Martin’s life and career. The film treats Martin’s queer identity with respect, capturing not only her eventual self-acceptance, but also the painful contradictions of her early career. To gain acceptance and a leg up, she had to perform a hyper-feminine, heteronormative image. However, Michôd neither sensationalizes her relationship with her partner nor reduces it to yet another struggle.
That compassion extends to Michôd’s direction. Known for the crime film “Animal Kingdom” and dystopian drama “The King,” he swaps his usual style of portraying masculinity for a story which is quieter but no less brutal. His approach here is more intimate, letting the emotional tension take center stage rather than the action. The film's pacing evolves with Christy’s story, methodical and measured early on, then increasingly frantic as her personal life implodes.
“I feel like it had a great balance of showing her whole story from the beginning to the current point of her life, especially with domestic violence,” Brooke Haverland, audience member and graduate Education student, said.
Where “Christy” truly lands a punch is in how seamlessly it connects Martin’s life outside the ring to fighting in it. Michôd and Sweeney show how Martin’s early exploration of sexuality, denial of her identity and finally being able to come out, is not detached from her role as a boxer, but entangled with it.
For Martin herself, who served as a consultant on the film, authenticity was non-negotiable. And for Michôd, gaining Martin’s trust was crucial, because he wanted to make her as comfortable as possible while sharing her story, leading to details that have never been published elsewhere being included in the film.
“She literally was on the brink of death, and she found that sort of determination and that strength to be able to come back … She literally had me sobbing at the end,” Ryan McLaughlin, audience member and graduate Education student said.
After a measured first half showing her rise to success, the second act rushes through some of Martin’s later milestones in favor of showing the escalating domestic violence. Moments showing her wins as well could have added more nuance. But overall, the film never loses focus on its beating heart — a woman refusing to be flattened into a headline.
At VAFF, “Christy” felt right at home. The festival has increasingly showcased films centered on women’s voices, resilience and reinvention. For example, last year’s breakout film “Anora” told the story of an erotic dancer in New York City, discontent with her life. “Christy” fits squarely within the mission of showing authentic female experiences and captures the exhaustion and euphoria of Martin’s survival, leaving viewers both shaken and inspired.
The film opens in theaters nationwide Nov. 7.
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