Critics Have Seen Christy. Does Sydney Sweeney Deliver A ‘Knockout’ Punch Or Fall Victim To ‘Lifetime Movie Clichés’?

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I’m seriously seeing Sydney Sweeney in everything right now! She’s got a ton of stuff coming out next year, and of course, everyone’s waiting for the next season of Euphoria. But the movie I’m really excited about is Christy, where she plays boxer Christy Martin. I’ve heard some early reviews, and people are really split – some think she’s absolutely amazing and could even get an Oscar nomination, while others aren’t so sure. It’s definitely a film I’m going to be checking out!

The film Christy explores a challenging period in boxer Christy Martin’s life, focusing on her hidden struggles with her identity and her experience in an abusive marriage. Ben Foster plays Jim Martin, her coach and husband. Mick LaSalle, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, praises Sydney Sweeney’s performance as the best of her career.

Like her previous roles in films such as Eden, Immaculate, and Echo Valley, Sydney Sweeney plays a character far from glamorous, pushing her to experience intense emotional pain and hopelessness. She isn’t a typical, self-absorbed actress; instead, she’s a powerful performer who consistently improves with each film. The heart of this movie lies in Sweeney’s genuine portrayal of Christy’s determination to work hard, overcome her past, and become the best version of herself.

In a review for the AP, Jocelyn Noveck commends Sydney Sweeney’s powerful performance in the new LGBTQ+ film, giving it a rating of 2.5 out of 4 stars. The movie, Christy, begins as a typical story about a pioneering female boxer, but later shifts its focus to the severe abuse she endured and remarkably overcame. Noveck adds:

Okay, so the movie definitely throws a lot of different styles together, and it’s a little uneven at times. But honestly, it all comes together because of the lead actress, Sweeney. She’s incredible as Martin – she manages to be both tough and surprisingly sweet, energetic and really vulnerable. You can absolutely tell she did her homework; her MMA background is key to the performance. She physically transformed for this role, gaining a lot of muscle, kind of like De Niro in Raging Bull, and you can see she put in the work training.

IGN’s Matt Fowler gave the film a rating of 7 out of 10, calling it ‘Good.’ He felt the final part of the movie should have spent more time exploring Christy Martin’s experiences as an abuse survivor, instead of focusing so much on the negative behavior of Jim Martin. Fowler also predicts that Sweeney will be considered for awards recognition.

Sydney Sweeney delivers a fantastic performance, and that should give her a strong advantage during awards season, even though the movie itself isn’t particularly groundbreaking. It’s a standard biographical story, offering little new except insight into the difficult life and near-fatal experience of a pioneering female boxer. The film doesn’t really stand out, but Sweeney’s talent carries it and provides its main appeal.

Sydney Sweeney delivers a committed performance, fully embracing the physical and emotional demands of her role, according to Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com. However, Lemire finds the film itself to be a fairly predictable underdog story that Sweeney’s efforts aren’t quite enough to elevate, giving it a rating of 2 out of 4 stars. She notes:

As a film buff, I have to say David Michôd’s latest follows the classic boxing movie formula pretty closely. You’ve got all the expected stuff – the training, the inspiring music, the wins, the losses, the people who don’t believe in our hero, and, eventually, triumph. It’s all done well, but it doesn’t really stand out. Honestly, the boxing scenes themselves were a bit disappointing – they lacked the grit and visual flair I was hoping for. It wasn’t until the final act of the film that Michôd really showed the kind of bold storytelling he’s known for, like in Animal Kingdom. That’s when things finally got really gripping.

In a review for Mashable, Kristy Puchko doesn’t believe Sydney Sweeney’s performance deserves an Oscar. Puchko notes that Sweeney’s Southern accent is inconsistent and her fight scenes aren’t very convincing. While the role demands more than Sweeney currently delivers, the critic acknowledges she isn’t entirely at fault. Puchko continues with her assessment:

Although there was initial excitement surrounding its release, Christy isn’t likely to be an Oscar winner, despite the hopes of its producer, Sweeney. The script is poorly written, relying on predictable characters and familiar tropes from made-for-TV movies without offering anything new. The talented cast struggles to find a consistent style or approach to their performances.

The movie Christy has a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning it has some flaws. The main question is whether Sydney Sweeney’s excellent acting can make up for the film’s weaknesses.

We don’t have to wait any longer to find out! Christy is in theaters as of Friday, November 7.

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2025-11-08 00:09