By Catholic News Service

At no point is it clear whether the filmmakers are sympathetic to the plight of disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) or just want to make fun of the skater and the peculiar, fleeting nature of fame.

Instead, director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Steven Rogers present a coarsening, numbing fusillade of domestic abuse and cursing. Occasionally this is broken up by ice skating routines which conform to the formula of a sports drama, and eventually the inept execution of a crime — the assault on Tonya’s rival, Nancy Kerrigan, just before the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Pervasive scenes of domestic abuse, a nonexplicit scene of sexual activity, pervasive rough language, frequent profanities. Catholic News Service classification, A-III — adults. Motion Picture Association of America rating, R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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