“I was loved for a minute.”
synopsis
Directed by Craig Gillespie, this darkly comic biopic recounts the rise and spectacular fall of figure skater Tonya Harding, centering on the infamous attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. Structured as contradictory interviews with key players, the film presents Harding’s troubled upbringing, abusive relationships, and outsider status in the elite skating world, while poking at the slippery nature of truth.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Margot Robbie is ferocious here — raw, defiant, wounded, funny. The film’s mockumentary tone keeps it from becoming tabloid melodrama. Instead of declaring Harding villain or victim, it explores class prejudice, media frenzy, and self-sabotage. It’s sharp, fast, and unexpectedly tragic. The tonal balancing act — humor alongside domestic abuse — shouldn’t work, but it does.
A cold winter night. Maybe with someone who remembers the 1994 media circus — or someone too young to believe it really happened.
Absurdist's Corner
A world-class athlete undone not by competition, but by a plot that sounds like it was hatched during a bad sitcom brainstorming session.
fun facts
Robbie performed many of the skating sequences herself, though triple axels were CGI-assisted.
Tonya Harding reportedly approved of Robbie’s portrayal.
Allison Janney won an Oscar for her brutally funny turn as Harding’s mother.