Christy Movie Ending Explained By Stars Sydney Sweeney & Katy O’Brian

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for the movie Christy. The film Christy stars Sydney Sweeney and Katy O’Brian, and they’re explaining the movie’s mysterious ending. Sweeney portrays real-life boxer Christy Martin, and O’Brian plays Lisa Holewyne, both an opponent in the ring and later, Christy’s wife.

I was reading an interview with Anya Taylor-Joy over at ScreenRant, and Liam Crowley asked her about a really interesting scene. It’s the one where her character, Christy, gets in a car and apologizes for getting blood on the seat. He wanted to know if filming that moment shifted how Anya saw Christy as a person, and it got me thinking about how much little details like that can really change an actor’s understanding of the role they’re playing.

Sweeney points out that this scene highlights Christy’s kind nature – she’s focused on others even while still feeling like she’s a problem. Sweeney also shares that it’s actually “one of my favorite shots,” despite being filmed quickly – in just five to seven minutes – at the end of the day. You can hear her thoughts on it below:

I was so struck by this moment – even while going through everything, she was still worried about how her struggles were affecting others. She was thinking about the burden she might be placing on someone else, instead of focusing on herself, which was incredibly selfless. And honestly, the scene itself was amazing considering how quickly we had to shoot it. We were completely out of time at the end of the day, and we only had about five or seven minutes to get it right. We did it in one take, and it’s become one of my absolute favorite shots from the whole project.

O’Brian discussed the climactic scene between Christy and her husband, Jim Martin (played by Ben Foster), who is also her boxing coach and becomes violently abusive. Although she wasn’t present during filming, O’Brian shared her thoughts on the scene and praised director David Michôd’s handling of such a sensitive moment.

I was relieved the violence wasn’t overly graphic. Like most people, I don’t want to see violence against women, and I appreciated that the director, David, handled it with restraint. Much of the impact came from expressions and suggestion, rather than explicitly showing the acts themselves. Showing the violence directly felt like it would be even more upsetting. There were also scenes where the violence happened out of view, off-camera, which I thought was a powerful and important choice. It reflects how abuse often happens behind closed doors – appearing normal to outsiders while being deeply traumatic in private. The fact that so much happened off-screen made it even more impactful and, in my opinion, more tasteful.

More than just a sports movie, Christy tackles serious issues like domestic violence. The director, O’Brian, wanted the ending to hint at the abuse through the characters’ reactions and what happens behind closed doors, rather than explicitly showing the violence. The film also highlights how abusive relationships can appear normal to outsiders, masking the trauma within.

Reviews for the show have been somewhat mixed, but critics consistently praise Sweeney’s performance, noting how fully she embodies the main character. She clearly understands the real Christy Martin, and this shows in details like her description of how Christy reacts to getting blood in her car.

Some are already predicting that Sydney Sweeney could be nominated for Best Actress at the 2026 Oscars. While the category is expected to be very competitive, with strong performances from actresses like Jessie Buckley in Hamnet and Emma Stone in Bugonia, Sweeney’s powerful performance and the enthusiastic reaction to it give her a real chance at a nomination.

Honestly, even if things don’t pan out at the awards, I’m so glad Christy brought this story to life – and it really let Sweeney and O’Brian deliver some of their best work yet! I’m already planning to check out Sweeney’s next film, The Housemaid, when it comes out on December 19th, and O’Brian’s, The Running Man, is on my radar for November 14th.

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2025-11-09 18:38