I, Tonya

I, Tonya (2017) is a sharp, darkly comedic biographical drama directed by Craig Gillespie, chronicling the rise and infamy of figure skater Tonya Harding. Margot Robbie stars as Harding, delivering a fierce, unvarnished performance that captures her rough-edged charm, athletic talent, and self-destructive defiance. The film traces Harding’s working-class upbringing, her abuse at the hands of her mother LaVona Golden (played with brutal intensity by Allison Janney), her toxic relationship with ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), and the notorious 1994 attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan—a scandal that forever changed Harding’s career and public image. Told through a mockumentary-style structure with fourth-wall breaks, unreliable narration, and biting humor, the film refuses to take a one-sided stance. Instead, it presents the conflicting accounts of those involved, painting Harding as both a victim of circumstance and an agent of chaos. The skating sequences—shot with a mix of choreography and CGI—are visceral and immersive, highlighting Harding’s sheer physical power on the ice. I, Tonya was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $53 million worldwide on an $11 million budget. Robbie’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, while Allison Janney won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Harding’s chain-smoking, profanity-spewing mother. The film also received nominations for Best Editing and Best Original Screenplay. Its legacy lies in its bold style, dark humor, and its reframing of Tonya Harding—not as a punchline, but as a deeply flawed, painfully human figure caught in a media circus. It remains one of the most distinctive and provocative sports biopics of the decade.