No matter how hard a woman works, there always seems to be a cold-hearted man nearby ready to snatch her hopes and dreams but ends up underestimating her. This is the theme at the heart of the new Black Bear Pictures film Christy.

The film is a 2025 American biographical sports drama film that chronicles the rise of former professional boxer Christy Martin, portrayed by Sydney Sweeney, as she becomes America's most renowned female boxer in the 1990s. The film also depicts the attempted murder of Martin by her husband in 2010. Directed by David Michôd and co-written by Katherine Fugate, Michôd, and Mirrah Foulkes, the film goes beyond showcasing a prominent woman's rise in the sport of boxing; it serves as a reflection on how society treats individuals from working-class backgrounds and those who identify as gay.

The film chronicles Martin's life from the beginning of her career participating in toughman contests to her very storied boxing career. The film also showcases her personal struggles. Her religious mother refused to acknowledge her due to her being gay and the various men in her life that failed her. Martin may have been a champion, but she was desperate for love. 

Sidney Sweeney tackles the role of Christy Martin, the young West Virginia woman that helped put women’s boxing on the map. For Sweeney, this is a career-defining role, as it helps her to showcase her acting chops. She helps the audience connect with a young woman whose spirit is being crushed as she rises professionally.

Ben Foster portrays James V. Martin, Christy’s significantly older husband and trainer. In this chilling role, Foster brings to life a character who evolves into a living nightmare as the film progresses. He fully embraces the darkness within James, allowing the audience to grasp the metaphorical cage that constricts Christy. His control over her drives the young woman into a solitude from which there appears to be no escape. Foster truly embodies the terrifying essence of James Martin.

On the surface this may be sold as a boxing movie, but it’s about a young woman learning to find her voice in a world where she has no allies. She’s just another commodity.

The film does a great job of showcasing the two Christys. The Christy, as she says, is
“Free inside the ring” and Christy that is trapped in a living nightmare. Writers Katherine Fugate, Mirrah Foulkes, and David Michôd did a great job with the script, amplifying the innocent Christy versus the confident boxing champ.

While Sweeney has grown leaps and bounds as an actor, her training may have been intense, but she never quite looks like a fighter. It’s her time outside the ring that allows her to shine, especially her more tense scenes with Foster and  Merritt Weaver who plays her mother.

Merritt Wever, portraying Joyce Salters—Christy's mother—delivers a remarkable performance. The interactions between her and Sweeney stand out as some of the strongest moments in the film. We resonate with many women in the Bible Belt, whose deep devotion to God and the Bible often comes at the expense of their children. These scenes are among the most heartbreaking in the film.

As a boxing film, Christy doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Christy's story needed to be told. One just wishes there was more time spent on her overcoming her demons. Just as she was taking command of her life, the film rushes to the finish. Christy should be seen to celebrate the woman that truly overcame all odds.

Christy comes to the theaters November 7th Stateside