MFF Quick Reviews – Christy, Natchez, Beast of War, Re-Election, and Ballerina

Christy (2025) – Grade – B-

It’s easy to understand why director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) and producer/star Sydney Sweeney wanted to make a biographical sports film about the life of Christy Martin. Martin is an all-time boxer whose story is perfect for a big-screen adaptation. She was plucked from “toughwoman” boxing tournaments by trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster) and became a boxing champion who appeared on Sports Illustrated and was signed by Don King. On top of surviving thousands of punches to the head, Martin dealt with an abusive husband, a controlling mother (who hated that Christy was gay), drug abuse, sexual abuse, and she even survived a murder attempt from her husband/trainer, Jim Martin. I’ve been familiar with Martin for a long time and when I heard Sweeney was making a biopic about her life, I became very excited because her story should be known. 

However, sport biopics are gonna be sport biopics, and there are moments when Christy starts to resemble Walk Hard (the title Punch Hard comes to mind). The film sticks closely to biopic conventions (it’s more of a collection of scenes than a complete narrative), and the constant time jumps halt any narrative momentum. That being said, the performances from Sweeney, Ethan Embry, Katy O’Brian, Tony Cavalero, Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, and Chad L. Coleman are solid, and gives them moments to shine.

Final Thoughts – Christy Martin has an incredible story, and I recommend watching the movie to learn more about her life. 

Natchez (2025) – Grade – A

Winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Sidewalk Film Festival, Natchez is a fascinating look into the world of antebellum tourism in Natchez, Mississippi. Director Suzannah Herbert (who drew inspiration from the Robert Altman film Nashville) lives in Memphis, Tennessee, so she tackles the core issues with empathy, care and understanding. Herbert clearly knows about the Deep South, and her documentary is about exploring the entire history of Natchez, and the role it played in the slave trade. 

The interviews are intimate, engaging and revelatory. The participants must’ve trusted Herbert and her small crew because they seem overly comfortable (you’ll see) and willing to share their lives with the filmmakers. Director of Photography Noah Collier used a Sony FX9 (on a tripod), vintage prime lenses and a handheld magnifier (that you’d get at an optometrist’s office – which is cool) to shoot the doc, and the visually interesting look matches the interesting personalities in front of the camera. Of all the participants, I enjoyed following Rev Collins as he engages in interesting conversations with tourists who have various degrees of acceptance for what he has to say. When he’s not working as a reverend, he’s in his van giving “real tours of Mississippi” to the thousands of tourists who visit the city every year. His tours are much different than those of “The Garden Club,” who dress up in intricate gowns and parade tourists around their plantation homes. What’s nice is that Herbert seems genuinely interested in each story, and instead of framing people as villains, she lets them do it. 

Final thoughts – Natchez is a visually interesting documentary that will hopefully collect a big audience. 

Re-Election (2025) – Grade – F

Re-Election is a “coming of (middle) age” comedy that features the least developed central character of 2025. The plot revolves around a guy named Jimmy (Adam Saunders – who also wrote, directed and produced the film), who spends 25 years withering away after losing a race for class president during his senior year of high school (it’s odd). Instead of going to college or doing anything with his life, Jimmy lives in a shed behind his dad’s (Tony Danza) memorabilia store that’s located in northeast Texas. After some prodding from his supportive sister Patty (Patty Guggenheim), Jimmy decides to go back to high school to get his diploma, run for class president, and earn an internship with the governor (Rizwan Manji). Since he’s 40+ years old and has been living in a shed for 25 years, he has to navigate gender-neutral bathrooms, social media, Gen Z, and pronouns. I have no idea why this film exists because there is nothing to the lead character. His dad seems nice, his sister Patty is supportive, and there seems to be no real trauma in his life. Saunders attempts to sneak in several messages (empathy, living life, picking yourself up), but the lead character is such a wet-noodle that nothing matters. The good news is that Nathalie Kelley (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) got a paycheck to play a wildly available high school teacher who has a soft spot for dudes who’ve spent the last 25 years living in a shed.  

Final Thoughts – I respect Saunders’ hustle because films are hard to make; however, I have no clue why this film exists.

Beast of War (2025) – Grade – A 

I plan on writing more about Beast of War (and covering it on Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast) soon, but I wanted to get a quick review out there in hopes that people will watch this excellent shark-film from director Kiah Roache-Turner (Sting, Wyrmwood). Beast of War is loosely based on a true story (that took place in 1942) about a group of Australian soldiers fighting for their lives after their warship is sunk by a Japanese fighter plane. The characters are likable, the performances are solid and the gore is wonderful. I love ambitious low-budget films, and I think many of the decisions (casting Mark Coles Smith) made by the Roacher-Turner were smart. The  result is a visually distinctive film that features an all-timer animatronic shark. 

Final Thoughts – Watch it!

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025) – Grade – B

I’m a bit late with this review, but I wanted to highlight the fun and inventive action scenes in Ballerina. It should be no surprise that the action scenes in a John Wick spin-off are inventive; however, I love how the main character Eva (Ana de Armas) uses grenades, flame throwers, and knives to kill larger opponents. There’s an action scene in which Eve goes grenade-crazy, and it’s easily one of my favorite moments of the year (the ice club fight is cool too). The inventive action makes up for the nondescript villains and cookie-cutter revenge story that is overly familiar. Between No Time to Die and Ballerina, de Armas has established herself as a top-tier action star, and I hope she’s given more chances to blow people up. 
Final Thoughts – I love a good Knock Knock (2015) reunion.