Sydney Sweeney has demonstrated her adaptability throughout her career, thriving in multiple genres such as teenage dramas like *Euphoria*, romantic comedies like *Anyone But You*, and horror films like *Immaculate*. With *Christy*, she explores a fresh genre: the Oscar-contending biopic.

Helmed by David Michôd (*The King, Animal Kingdom*), *Christy* showcases Sweeney as the famous boxer Christy Martin, a pioneer for women in the sport. The film not only traces Christy’s career in boxing but also explores her challenging upbringing with her homophobic mother Joyce (Merritt Wever) and her turbulent relationship with her abusive husband and coach Jim (Ben Foster).

The initial trailer for *Christy* emphasizes Jim’s threats to kill Christy should she decide to leave him. It also showcases Sweeney’s physical transformation into Martin, a commitment that frequently garners the attention of Oscar voters, as demonstrated by Christian Bale in *The Fighter* and Charlize Theron in *Monster*. Yet, aside from its Oscar-centric premise, how does the film hold up?

Following its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, *Christy* garnered mixed reactions. Some reviewers praised Sweeney’s acting but pointed out the film’s shortcomings and occasionally monotonous narrative.

In her TIFF review, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko criticized both Sweeney’s performance and the film in general, remarking, “Despite the excitement surrounding the premiere, *Christy* does not emerge as the Oscar hopeful that Sweeney, who also produced the movie, seems to have intended. Its script is disorganized, creating clumsy archetypes and resorting to Lifetime movie clichés without any self-awareness.”

*Christy* is set to hit theaters on Nov. 7.