The Cut: Caitríona Balfe explains how she created Caitlin’s hidden backstory

A good story is a good story not only owing to its plot but also its characters. Considering this, the upcoming Sean Ellis movie The Cut, which stars Orlando Bloom as the Boxer, appears to be a good story, especially because of the character that Caitríona Balfe is playing: Caitlin, the wife and the trainer of the Boxer. She was in a conversation with The Direct, where she discussed Caitlin's character development.

Though it's about one of the most popular sports, boxing, it is labeled as a psychological thriller rather than a sports film. The story will follow Bloom's Boxer, who is looking to return to boxing for an event as a replacement for another one, who dies. However, it's not easy to enter the ring, as he will have to go through a drastic body transformation.

The Cut is said to have several brutal scenes, but we cannot look away. It had a special presentation at the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival last year and got some positive reviews after that. As of this writing, the film holds a 77% score at Rotten Tomatoes, which might change after its theatrical release on September 5, 2025.

Its TIFF listing mentions that the film has "themes of disordered eating; violence, mature themes, scenes of surgery, crude content, drug use, coarse language."

What's the backstory of Caitlin in The Cut?

Caitríona Balfe gave one hell of a story during the interview, which is enough to make the character of Caitlin instantly likable and respectable. She tells The Direct:

"The way I saw her was that she had come from a boxing family, but she had a lot of brothers. Her dad never really took her seriously in terms of her abilities to box, and it was something she was always interested in. And I think if she had grown up, even 10 to 15 years later, her life would have been very different, because she would have had a space in women's boxing, and she would have occupied that very well."

This isn't all. There’s more to it. She also hinted that The Cut character also had some hard times, struggling with substance abuse, and she is in, sort of, a recovery period. However, Caitlin also appears to have come to love this life.

Caitlin is the best support Orlando Bloom's Boxer can get

Orlando Bloom had to go through a drastic transformation for The Cut in real life too. (Image via Paramount Pictures)

This is going to be a tough journey for the Boxer and he certainly needs a helping hand, and not just for physical training, but mentally too. Caitríona talks about this too and said,

"She sees that this is a journey that Boxer has to go on to sort of know that it's not the answer, but she also knows that if she isn't there with him, at least in the beginning, that he's not going to make it. And I think you know, until Boz comes into the picture, I think she thinks that she can actually manage this situation and help him."

On top of that, Caitlin is also "a damaged person" and "also has wish fulfillment." Taking that into account, this won't just be a psychological thriller but a love story too. Though that'll be tough.