Movie Review: ‘Christy’ Packs a Punch, But the Real Power Comes from Its Supporting Cast

The film Christy follows Christy Salter Martin (Sydney Sweeney), a young woman from small-town West Virginia who discovers her power through boxing and the price that comes with it. Under the guidance of her trainer-turned-husband Jim (Ben Foster), Christy rises fast in a male-dominated sport. But behind the gloves and glory, her life unravels under the weight of control, fear, and emotional and physical abuse.

Sydney Sweeney delivers a solid, emotionally charged performance as Christy, embodying her toughness and vulnerability with nuance. But it’s the supporting cast that truly elevates the film. Ben Foster’s portrayal of Jim Martin is both terrifying and unforgettable. Foster portrays Martin as a quiet menace, whose distrust and anger at Christy festers until his physical violence finally erupts in brutal, shocking scenes that are hard to shake.

Merritt Wever, as Christy’s weary and judgmental mother, gives a haunting performance of her own. She plays a woman more concerned with appearances and the illusion of family stability than with her daughter’s safety or happiness. Even when Christy is in the hospital recovering from a brutal attack, Wever’s protrayal of a mom who tries to insist on moving on and keeping things quiet wanted me to reach through the screen and shake her.

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The pacing of the film is where Christy stumbles. It jumps through key moments too quickly, and at times, it feels like not much is happening even when everything should be. The story has the bones of something powerful and the performances from Foster, Wever and Ethan Embry are there but the editing never quite picks up the pace.

Even so, Christy lands where it matters most: as a story of survival. It’s about fighting back in and out of the ring and finding the strength to reclaim your life and sexuality. Christy is not perfect, but it definitely leaves a mark.