This review contains spoilers and mentions of violence. 

Boxing gloves, ill-fitting tank tops and a mullet. These are three things you’d never expect to see actress Sydney Sweeney decked out in. Yet, as the titular role in the upcoming boxing biopic “Christy,” Sweeney wears these items with pride — and gives a stellar performance in them.

Set to be released in theaters Friday, “Christy” explores female boxer Christy Martin’s life: her rise to fame, struggles with sexuality and relationship with her abusive husband-slash-coach. As a whole, “Christy” is your typical biopic, but its stellar leading performance and gut-wrenching climax throw great punches.

Directed by Australian filmmaker ​​David Michôd, the film starts with the young fighter being shunned by her mother for having a lesbian lover, which forces Martin into the closet and kickstarts her tragic romantic trajectory. Martin turns to boxing to make ends meet, and is introduced to her future coach and husband, James (Ben Foster) in a training center. 

James, who the audience soon finds to be a controlling prick, helps Martin train and reach the top of the female boxing ladder, crafting a girly brand and dressing her in all pink. Martin, who is nationally dubbed “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” due to her father’s job, eventually wins a nationally televised pay-per-view match against Deirdre Gogarty — a fight often credited for putting women’s boxing on sports fans’ radars.

The film documents Martin’s career dying out, as James’s overpossessive tendencies take control. The couple’s numerous disagreements and James’ disgusting behavior come to a head in an act of shocking yet heartbreaking violence. In a bout of rage, James stabs and shoots Martin, leaving her for dead.

While the plot of “Christy” is captivating enough, the film’s pacing definitely feels odd. It is too ambitious in the time frame it attempts to cover. Audiences witness Martin’s early career in the late ’80s, her rise to fame in the ’90s, James’ assault in 2010 and the boxer beginning to fight again the very next year. While this timeline does capture the magnitude of Martin’s life experiences, the film generally feels unfocused in what part of her life it really wants to highlight.

And yet, throughout all this time, nobody ages. Or maybe it’s just that Sweeney will never look old. 

Another gripe with the film is how the stylization of time periods, particularly in Martin’s fashion, makes no sense. From the movie’s start, the main characters’ costuming makes them look like they’re stuck in time. 

Martin wears ’70s-inspired outfits with a floofy mullet that stays even until what the movie defines as the late ’90s. Even her boxing match outfit — an ill-fitting baby pink tank top with long matching shorts — looks outdated opposite boxers in branded sports bras. Looking back, it’s difficult to discern when each scene takes place as there are few visual cues to signal that change.

Despite “Christy’s” directorial and production flaws, it’s clear that this film marks a turning point in Sweeney’s career. Having often played a pretty blonde or some tormented character in a horror film, the starkly different role of Martin features some of Sweeney’s most gritty and nuanced acting yet. 

As Martin, Sweeney is incredibly convincing as an introverted loner who finds strength in boxing. Her facial expressions carry weight; audiences can understand how Martin feels with the furrow of an eyebrow or a mere look of hopelessness. And Sweeney looks the part, too — for the role, she gained 30 pounds and built significant muscle.

Sweeney’s acting was most moving when Martin was stabbed and shot. As the actress is no newbie to drama or horror films, she delivered the scene subtly, yet masterfully. Hopefully, “Christy” marks a new era for Sweeney where she focuses on more serious roles (and better ad campaigns).

“Christy” is a fascinating exploration into the intersection of one woman’s sexuality, sports career and experience with domestic violence. It’s no masterpiece, but the film does show sparks of brilliance from the rising, yet controversial, star that is Sweeney.

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