The best movies for sports fans

Sports fans have been spoilt for choice by Hollywood in recent years, with many great movies to choose from, across various genres, that capture the thrill, drama, and passion of competitive sports. 

Ironically, while one of the most appealing aspects of sport is its unpredictability – with any result possible and upsets a-plenty, especially at the amateur level – sports films are often lauded for adhering to a strict formula: the hero overcomes adversity to triumph over his sporting foe.  

That’s not to say that some great sports films don’t upend expectations though, as we will see in this chronological list of classics and popular choices:

1. Rocky (1976) – Sylvester Stallone effectively wrote the playbook for the sporting underdog story with “Rocky”, the iconic story of a small-time boxer getting a shot at the heavyweight championship title. Nearly 50 years and countless training montages later, the series is still going strong and shows no sign of tiring.

2. Chariots of Fire (1981) – A historical drama that tells the story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics, “Chariots of Fire” won Best Picture at the Oscars and is fondly remembered today for its action scenes and stirring score by Vangelis. 

3. Hoosiers (1986) – A basketball film based on a true story, “Hoosiers” focuses on a small-town high school team’s journey to the state championship, with unforgettable performances from Dennis Hopper and Gene Hackman, as Coach Norman Dale. The class politics are a little dated these days, but the basketball scenes remain as riveting as ever. 

4. Field of Dreams (1989) – Kevin Costner stars in this fantastically corny drama which portrays a touching father-son story while holding up the myth of baseball as the righteous cornerstone of the American way of life. A dubious claim, for sure, but the movie still stands up to this day.

5. Raging Bull (1989) – Martin Scorsese famously isn’t a fan of sports, saying he “always thought boxing was boring”. But his biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta – memorably played by Robert DeNiro in his only Best Actor Oscar performance to date – manages to perfectly capture the brutality and toxic masculinity of the sport nonetheless. 

6. Cool Runnings (1993) – the only bona fide comedy on the list, “Cool Runnings” manages to wring both laughs and tears out of one of the most unlikely real-life sporting tales of all time: the debut of the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

7. Any Given Sunday (1999) – Oliver Stone’s sporting drama, focused on the fictional, down and out Miami Sharks, brings together an all-star cast including Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx and – most memorably of all – Al Pacino as the Sharks’ righteously speechifying head coach Tony d’Amato.

8. The Damned United (2009) – this thorny character study is the opposite of a conventional success story, focusing on Brian Clough’s infamously ill-fated 44-day spell as manager of Leeds United Football Club. Michael Sheen gives a great performance, as his insecurities and hubris quickly turn a dream appointment into a sporting nightmare.

9. Moneyball (2011) – Oscar-nominated performances by Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill elevate this film, which is based on the story of the Oakland Athletics’ use of statistics and data to assemble a competitive baseball team, and yet somehow ends up a far more interesting watch than that description would have you believe…

10. Rush (2013) – Most sports films give the viewer someone to root for. Besides successfully capturing the adrenaline of Formula 1, “Rush” is notable for portraying its two rival racers – James Hunt and Nicki Lauda, played by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl – as anything but likeable, thus calling into question the prevailing narrative of “sports stars as heroes and villains”. 

11. I, Tonya (2017) – Tonya Harding was a talented but flawed figure skater who became embroiled in controversy, and was ultimately barred from competing for life following charges of assault and conspiracy. This biopic emphasizes Harding’s working class background and overbearing mother, making a poignant case for the disgraced athlete. 

12. King Richard (2021) – While Venus and Serena Williams are major tennis stars in their own right, this film chooses to focus on their uncompromising and unconventional father and coach, Richard – played by Will Smith in an Oscar-winning performance. His amazing story has unfortunately been overshadowed by Smith’s infamous Oscar Night slap, but don’t let that put you off.

While they focus on a wide range of sports, emotions and trajectories, all of these movies offer drama, inspiration, and excitement, catering to a massive audience.