Christy opens to $1.3m in the US, but Sweeney highlights its message and social importance
Sydney Sweeney has responded to the poor US box office performance of Christy, the R-rated biographical drama in which she portrays pioneering boxer Christy Martin. The film opened to just $1.3 million over the weekend, marking one of the lowest opening weekends for a release in more than 2,000 theatres.
Directed by David Michôd, Christy tells the story of Martin’s rise in the 1990s from the daughter of a West Virginia coal miner to one of the most prominent female boxers in the United States. The narrative also depicts Martin’s experiences of domestic abuse at the hands of her coach-turned-husband, culminating in an attempt on her life. The cast includes Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Katy O’Brian.
Despite mixed reviews, Sweeney has emphasised the film’s significance beyond commercial performance. Writing on Instagram, she said, “We don’t always just make art for numbers, we make it for impact. And Christy has been the most impactful project of my life.” She highlighted the film’s work in raising awareness of domestic violence, noting that the project aimed to inspire survival, courage, and hope.
Sweeney continued, “Through our campaigns, we have helped raise awareness for so many affected by domestic violence. We all signed on to this film with the belief that Christy’s story could save lives. Thank you to everyone who saw, felt, and believed and will believe in this story for years to come. If Christy gave even one woman the courage to take her first step toward safety, then we will have succeeded.”
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Critical response was divided. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian wrote that the film “just isn’t nearly good enough, a by-the-numbers slog that fails to prove Sweeney’s status as a one to watch,” while other commentators praised her portrayal of Martin across two decades as award-worthy.
Christy is the first theatrical release from Black Bear, an independent company which produced the film for $15 million and sold its international distribution rights. The release represents the latest commercial challenge for Sweeney, who previously starred in Eden, a survival thriller with Ana de Armas and Vanessa Kirby, and Americana, a drama co-starring Paul Walter Hauser. Both films underperformed at the box office this year.
The struggles of Christy reflect broader difficulties for adult-oriented dramas in the contemporary theatrical market. Other releases, such as the psychodrama Die, My Love starring Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere, and the boxing drama The Smashing Machine, achieved praise at film festivals but failed to translate that into strong commercial results.
Sweeney, who previously led the romantic comedy Anyone But You to a worldwide gross of $220 million, has future projects scheduled. She will appear alongside Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar in The Housemaid, directed by Paul Feig. The psychological thriller, adapted from the 2022 novel by Freida McFadden, is set to premiere in the United States on 19 December.
For Sweeney, the reception of Christy reinforces her focus on storytelling and social impact rather than box office returns. The actor’s comments underline the importance of the film’s themes and the potential for cinema to raise awareness and inspire change.
Christy may have struggled commercially, but Sweeney’s performance and the film’s treatment of domestic violence have established it as a culturally significant work in her career and in the ongoing discussion of women’s stories in sport.