---
title: "I, Tonya"
year: 2017
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/i-tonya"
fi1m_id: "i-tonya"
imdb_id: "tt5580036"
tmdb_id: 389015
wikidata_id: "Q28369564"
fi1m_score: 70
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 26
published: "2026-10-03T00:03:57.556748+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T00:03:58.188494+00:00"
region: "PL"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# I, Tonya (2017)

Directed by Craig Gillespie · 2h 00m · Drama, Comedy

## Identity

I, Tonya

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/i-tonya
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** i-tonya
- **IMDb ID:** tt5580036
- **TMDB ID:** 389015
- **Wikidata ID:** Q28369564
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580036/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/389015, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28369564

**Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 71 from 26 reviews

*In a sentence:* Everyone turns to the camera to say it was not their fault, and the parakeet declines to comment

> Craig Gillespie’s Tonya Harding film is quick, rude and often funny, with Margot Robbie and Allison Janney on form and the skating shot like a chase. The jokes and the beatings never settle in the same room, and the film ends by blaming us.

## Synopsis

Portland, Oregon, in the 1970s. LaVona (Allison Janney) marches her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Tonya (Maizie Smith) to the local rink and will not leave until coach Diane Rawlinson (Julianne Nicholson) agrees to take her on. LaVona smokes at the barrier, pays in waitressing tips and tells the child she skates better angry. By her teens Tonya (Margot Robbie) can land jumps the other girls cannot, sews her own costumes because there is no money for better, and watches judges mark her down for not being the right kind of girl. At fifteen she meets Jeff (Sebastian Stan), who is sweet until he is not. All of it is told years later, to camera, by Tonya, Jeff and LaVona, who agree on nothing, least of all what happened to Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver) in 1994.

## Review

Craig Gillespie tells the Tonya Harding story the way Martin Scorsese told Henry Hill’s in [*Goodfellas*](https://film.one/film/goodfellas) (1990): interviews to camera, old rock on the soundtrack, a narrator who turns round to correct the record. Steven Rogers’s script lets Tonya and her ex-husband Jeff tell it in turn, agreeing on almost nothing. The result is 120 minutes that move fast, land most of their jokes and never decide what to do when the jokes stop. It is a good evening, and in stretches an uncomfortable one.

Margot Robbie plays Harding from fifteen into middle age, and most of the performance is in the jaw. She skates with her chin out, takes her marks with her chin out, and when her coach suggests something tasteful to wear she pushes it further out still. To camera she is a woman who has rehearsed her grievances so long they have worn smooth. When Jeff hits her she turns to us mid-blow to say it did not happen like that, and we did not know whether to laugh. We think that is deliberate; we are not sure it was wise.

Allison Janney’s LaVona has most of the film’s best lines. She sits for her interview in a fur coat with an oxygen line under her nose and a parakeet on her shoulder, and talks about her daughter like a car that never ran properly. At the rink she smokes, drinks from a flask, pays Diane Rawlinson (Julianne Nicholson, patient and prim) out of her tips and tells the child she skates better angry. We laughed at nearly everything she said and felt a little ashamed each time, because Gillespie keeps the bruises in frame. Janney never softens and never asks to be forgiven.

Nicolas Karakatsanis shoots the skating in long gliding takes that stay with Robbie across the ice and turn when she turns, so the triple axel plays as one held breath. The sequences have a nerve the rest of the film keeps reaching for. Tatiana S. Riegel cuts the off-ice scenes to the beat of a soundtrack of radio rock, so that Peter Nashel’s own score barely gets a word in. Jade Healy gives everyone wood panelling, brown carpet and one lamp. Jennifer Johnson’s costumes are the ones the judges marked down, sequins sewn at the kitchen table, and a fur for LaVona that costs more than anything else in shot.

Sebastian Stan plays Jeff with a moustache, a mumble and a wish to be liked that turns into something else once the door is shut. Paul Walter Hauser’s Shawn, Tonya’s self-appointed bodyguard, lives with his parents and claims a background in counter-terrorism, and Hauser plays him dead straight, which is why he is funny. The second half follows these men into the plot everyone knows, and the film loses grip there. The planning is funny, the people are idiots, and the picture seems to think their idiocy settles the question of blame.

It does not. Rogers wants us to see Harding as a woman hit in turn by her mother, her husband, the judges and the public, and near the end she looks into the lens and tells us we were part of it too. But the film has spent ninety minutes inviting us to laugh at the people it now says we should have pitied, and the accusation arrives too late and too neatly to land. Gillespie, who made the gentler *Lars and the Real Girl* (2007), has the comic timing. He has not found a tone that lets the comedy and the beatings sit in one room.

And still it got us. There is a scene late on, Robbie alone at a mirror with a make-up sponge, that we will not describe, except that it is held long and silent and did more than any speech to make us feel what the whole business cost her. See it for that, for Janney, and for the skating, where the film’s speed and its feeling arrive together. It carries a 15 certificate, mostly for the language, which LaVona supplies almost single-handed.

*Fi1m score 70, published 3 October 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is I, Tonya worth watching?**

*I, Tonya* is worth watching for anyone who likes a brisk, rude comedy about real people behaving badly, and we scored it 70. Margot Robbie and Allison Janney are both on form and the skating is shot like a chase, but the film never finds a tone that lets the jokes and the beatings sit together, and its late attempt to blame the audience arrives too neatly to land.

**How long is I, Tonya, and what is it rated?**

*I, Tonya* runs 2h 00m. It is a drama and comedy film.

**Where can I watch I, Tonya in Poland?**

*I, Tonya* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from zł 9.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is I, Tonya, and is it suitable for children?**

*I, Tonya* carries a UK 15 certificate, mostly for the language, which Allison Janney's LaVona supplies almost single-handed. It is not frightening, but it shows a mother hitting her child and a husband beating his wife, often while the film is asking us to laugh, and it is not for children. Teenagers of the certificate's age should be fine; the squeamish may find the domestic violence harder than the swearing.

**How does I, Tonya compare to GoodFellas?**

*I, Tonya* borrows its shape from [*GoodFellas*](https://film.one/film/goodfellas): interviews to camera, old rock on the soundtrack, a narrator who turns round to correct the record. The Scorsese film is the better of the two, because it takes its violence as seriously as its jokes, where Gillespie's never settles which room it is in. Choose *I, Tonya* for Janney and the skating; choose *GoodFellas* if you want the whole thing to hold together.

**What should I watch after I, Tonya?**

After *I, Tonya*, try [*Goodfellas*](https://film.one/film/goodfellas) (1990, Fi1m 93): The structure Gillespie borrowed, with the beatings taken as seriously as the jokes. Then [*Fish Tank*](https://film.one/film/fish-tank) (2009, Fi1m 85): Andrea Arnold’s Essex girl dances alone in an empty flat; the same anger, no sequins; and [*Foxcatcher*](https://film.one/film/foxcatcher) (2014, Fi1m 82): Sport, money and a parent’s disappointment, played dead straight and all the colder for it.

### Reviews we read (26)

- **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (5/5): Rothkopf calls the film a provocative biopic that gives Tonya Harding belated dignity. The standfirst describes it as a dazzlingly compelling take on her story, despite suggesting it may not be the movie she deserves. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/i-tonya)
- **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (90/100, inferred): Halligan’s standfirst gives Margot Robbie’s performance a glowing verdict. It singles out her portrayal of figure skater Tonya Harding for praise. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/i-tonya-toronto-review/5122194.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Nikki Baughan (90/100, inferred): The review finds the film stunning and sharply critical of the forces that constrained Tonya Harding. It especially praises Margot Robbie’s transformative performance. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/i-tonya-review-chilling-story-thwarted-ambition)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (Critics Pick): Gleiberman finds the film wickedly enjoyable and sympathetic toward Harding. He particularly praises Margot Robbie’s canny, live-wire performance and the thrillingly staged skating scenes. [Read](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/i-tonya-review-margot-robbie-1202552743/)
- **Empire**, Helen O'Hara (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film gripping, darkly funny, and corrective in its portrayal of Harding. She praises Robbie and Janney’s performances, while noting that stylistic flourishes sometimes distract from Harding’s inner life. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tonya-review/)
- **Total Film**, Matt Glasby (4/5): Glasby finds the film viciously funny, entertaining, and expertly made, though troubled by its tonal clash with domestic violence. He praises Margot Robbie’s performance and the breathtaking skating sequences. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/i-tonya-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John DeFore (76/100, inferred): DeFore finds the film funny, lively, and oddly affecting, while noting that its true-crime section loses some excitement. He praises Margot Robbie’s compelling lead performance and the film’s fresh take on Tonya Harding’s story. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/i-tonya-review-1037074/)
- **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (75/100, inferred): The review presents the film as an irreverent, entertaining patchwork. It singles out Allison Janney’s icy performance as the one that dominates. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/i-tonya-review-an-irreverent-entertaining-patchwork/)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (70/100, inferred): Edelstein finds the film moving and sympathetic toward Harding, though its broad comedy sometimes clashes with its depiction of abuse. He singles out Margot Robbie’s athletic, emotionally trapped portrayal and Allison Janney’s chilling performance. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2017/12/i-tonya-turns-tonya-harding-into-a-sympathetic-character.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Christopher Gray (2.5/4): Gray finds the film’s satire and moral address too glib to convincingly implicate viewers. He praises Margot Robbie’s performance and the vivid recreation of Harding’s triple axel. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/i-tonya/)
- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (3/5): Norman finds the film tonally muddled and Robbie’s performance oddly dispassionate, though he says it is just about saved from mediocrity. He singles out Allison Janney’s glacial, fiercely vivid performance as its one sensational turn. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/i-tonya-film-review-skaters-gonna-hate-a3773956.html)
- **The Guardian**, Benjamin Lee (55/100, inferred): Lee finds the film uneven and tonally awkward, though still diverting. He singles out Allison Janney’s towering performance as Harding’s mother for particular praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/09/i-tonya-review-margot-robbie-toronto-film-festival-tiff)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (50/100, inferred): Chang finds the film’s sympathetic portrait of Harding and Robbie’s performance compelling, but judges its execution uneven. He particularly praises Robbie’s wrenching final moments while criticizing the film’s shallow, flippant treatment of abuse. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-tonya-review-20171207-story.html)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (25/100, inferred): Brody argues that the film’s condescending tone undermines its attempt to empathize with Tonya Harding. He singles out its comic treatment of her abuse and its failure to portray her as a fully realized person. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/i-tonya-reviewed-a-condescending-biopic-of-tonya-harding)
- **Consequence**, Allison Shoemaker (90/100, inferred): Shoemaker calls the film wildly entertaining, unapologetic, and deeply affecting. She singles out Margot Robbie’s funny, empathetic performance for praise. [Read](https://consequence.net/2017/12/film-review-i-tonya/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond calls the film a welcome, darkly funny surprise and praises its cast. He singles out Margot Robbie’s performance and Allison Janney’s wickedly funny, three-dimensional turn as LaVona. [Read](https://deadline.com/2017/12/i-tonya-review-margot-robbie-allison-janney-tonya-harding-1202222038/)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a powerful, darkly comic telling that leaves viewers emotionally bruised. They single out Margot Robbie’s transformative performance as the real revelation. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/i-tonya-2017-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): Goldberg praises the film’s biting, nuanced reconsideration of Tonya Harding’s story, while noting that its treatment of abuse can feel jarring. He singles out Margot Robbie’s performance as the film’s highlight, with Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan also earning praise. [Read](https://collider.com/i-tonya-review/)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4/5): Crow calls the film a biting triumph, praising its sharp balance of dark comedy and tragedy. He particularly singles out Allison Janney’s performance as Tonya’s mother as devastating and precise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/i-tonya-review/)
- **NME** (4/5): The review finds the film very funny, energetic and unexpectedly affecting. It especially praises Margot Robbie’s performance for balancing comedy and drama. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/i-tonya-harding-film-review-margot-robbie-2240615)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7/10): The critic finds the film darkly comedic and sympathetic, though its catharsis may arrive too late. Allison Janney’s foul-mouthed performance is singled out as stealing the film. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/553232/i-tonya-review-tiff-2017/)
- **Paste**, Kyle Turner (70/100, inferred): Turner finds the film’s camp lens both exhilarating and troubling, arguing that it can challenge gender norms while risking the reduction of Harding’s experience to spectacle. He especially praises the dizzying, expressive skating scenes and their eventual focus on the technical achievement of her triple axel. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/i-tonya-spits-in-the-face-of-camp)
- **The Playlist** (65/100, inferred): The page URL identifies this as a TIFF review of *I, Tonya*, but the review’s verdict is unavailable. The anti-crawler page provides no details about what the critic praised or criticized. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/itonya-tiff-review-20170909/)
- **The Ringer**, K. Austin Collins (50/100, inferred): Collins finds the film compelling but overstuffed, with an uneasy, sometimes too-cavalier treatment of domestic violence. He especially praises the skating scenes as exhilarating pure theater that captures Harding’s flair as a performer. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/06/movies/i-tonya-film-review-margot-robbie-tonya-harding)
- **The Skinny**, Philip Concannon (★★): Concannon finds the biopic energetic but unfocused, glib and ultimately enervating. He praises Margot Robbie’s commitment but says she does not entirely convince in the lead role. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/i-tonya)
- **The Wrap** (40/100, inferred): The review finds the film lively and well acted but ultimately undermined by its treatment of Harding’s story. It praises Margot Robbie’s committed performance while faulting the film for letting the criminal side plot overwhelm its critique of media-driven vilification. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/i-tonya-film-review-margot-robbie-harding-allison-janney/)

## Details

- **Director:** Craig Gillespie
- **Director:** Craig Gillespie
- **Writer:** Steven Rogers
- **Cinematography:** Nicolas Karakatsanis
- **Editor:** Tatiana S. Riegel
- **Music:** Peter Nashel
- **Production design:** Jade Healy
- **Costume design:** Jennifer Johnson
- **Producer:** Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, Steven Rogers
- **Cast:** Margot Robbie as Tonya; Sebastian Stan as Jeff; Allison Janney as LaVona; Julianne Nicholson as Diane Rawlinson; Paul Walter Hauser as Shawn; Bobby Cannavale as Martin Maddox; Bojana Novaković as Dody Teachman; Caitlin Carver as Nancy Kerrigan
- **Runtime:** 2h 00m
- **Release (Poland):** 2 March 2018
- **Genres:** Drama, Comedy
- **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2017)
- **Budget:** $11 million
- **Box office:** $54 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjjwD1nd_X8

## Where to watch in Poland

- Amazon Prime Video: rent zł 9.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy zł 34.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-02.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, SE, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2018: Best Actress (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Supporting Actress (won)
- IFFR audience award 2018: IFFR audience award (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Goodfellas* (1990), Fi1m 93: The structure Gillespie borrowed, with the beatings taken as seriously as the jokes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/goodfellas.md)
- *Bernie* (2011): Richard Linklater’s true-crime comedy, told by townsfolk who cannot agree what happened either.
- *Fish Tank* (2009), Fi1m 85: Andrea Arnold’s Essex girl dances alone in an empty flat; the same anger, no sequins. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fish-tank.md)
- *Foxcatcher* (2014), Fi1m 82: Sport, money and a parent’s disappointment, played dead straight and all the colder for it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/foxcatcher.md)
- *The Price of Gold* (2014): The documentary version, with the real Harding talking and the real footage from the ice.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/i-tonya