TIFF 2025 Review: Christy

TIFF 2025: Sydney Sweeney Stuns With Career-Best Performance in Christy

We all know Sydney Sweeney has been going through a lot lately… Her PR hasn’t been looking the best. But one thing that’s undeniable is that she’s always been a powerhouse actress. From her breakout as Cassie in Euphoria to the chilling Ceclia in Immaculate, she’s proven her range, even if some roles (Anyone But You, The White Lotus) didn’t give her as much to work with. That’s why I was especially curious to see how she would take on Christy Martin, the American former boxer whose story is as gritty as it is inspiring.

Going in, I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Christy Martin beyond the photos of Sweeney’s physical transformation that had been circulating online and those were impressive enough to make me think, okay, this is going to be something completely different for her. What I didn’t realize was just how layered and emotional this story would actually be. 

The film follows Christy growing up in small-town West Virginia, where she discovers her love of boxing first against her parents’ wishes, and eventually under the guidance of coach-turned-husband Jim (Ben Foster). At first, Jim doesn’t take her seriously because she’s a woman. But once he sees her raw determination, he admits she trains harder than most of the men he’s ever coached. What makes Christy especially powerful is how it positions Christy Martin’s life within the larger context of women’s boxing and women’s sports in general. Known as “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” Martin wasn’t just fighting opponents in the ring, she was fighting a culture that didn’t see a place for women in the sport. Her rise to becoming Don King’s first female star put her in the spotlight at a time when women’s boxing barely had a foothold, making her both an athlete and a reluctant pioneer.

This makes Sydney Sweeney’s transformation all the more impressive. She doesn’t just mimic Christy’s fighting stance or accent; she embodies the tension of a woman navigating a man’s world, caught between ambition and vulnerability. Compared to her earlier work in Euphoria or Immaculate, this is a role that strips away glamour and leans into grit. You can see the months of training in how she carries herself, the extra weight she put on for this role, but it’s her emotional depth and the way her eyes flicker between confidence and doubt that stays with you.

Ben Foster also deserves a lot of credit here. His Jim Martin is manipulative, abusive, and chillingly believable. At first, he positions himself as Christy’s gatekeeper to legitimacy, but as the film progresses, his control over her career and personal life becomes suffocating. Foster has played dark roles before, but here his performance adds a layer of menace that elevates Sweeney’s arc even further.

The whole film dives deep into themes of identity, ambition, family, and abuse. Christy’s journey is brutal, emotional, and raw and Sweeney delivers what I think is her strongest performance yet. She completely disappears into the role, balancing Christy’s toughness in the ring with her vulnerabilities outside of it. It’s a career-defining turn, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it earns her an Oscar nomination.

What makes it hit even harder is that the film isn’t just about Christy’s wins in the ring but it also shows the price she had to pay for breaking into a sport that never really wanted her there. That mix of triumph and sacrifice stays with you long after the credits. At the end of the day, Christy’s story goes way beyond boxing ; it’s about survival, resilience, and finding your voice in a world that tried to shut her down.

Watch the trailer for Christy below

Elevation Pictures and Black Bear release Christy in theatres November 7, 2025