The Olympics has come and gone, but it did leave me thinking about my favorite sports movies. This list is obviously not exhaustive, nor are all the movies on it purely sports-driven, but they do all speak to how sports provide an opportunity to reevaluate our lives and reconnect with those around us. I hope you find something worth watching here! These are some great movies.
10. Challengers (2024)
- Luca Guadagnino’s latest offering set the internet on fire with its sensual portrayal of a love triangle between three professional tennis players. Every bit as thrilling as the trailer, this movie is now streaming on Prime Video and isn’t one to miss!
9. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
- Ralph Nelson’s classic drama about a boxer deciding what to do with his life after his career is brutally ended is one of my favorite movies about boxing. With powerhouse performances and some great shot composition, this is a great film that examines how athletes are exploited then thrown away. Available on demand via YouTube and Prime Video, this is a must watch for combat sports fans! Trailer
8. Point Break (1991)
-I feel like Kathryn Bigelow’s action movie about a gang of surfers addicted to the thrill of bank robbery, and the cop who tries to stop them, has achieved cult status—and for good reason! Even in the trailer you can get a sense of the melodramatic performances, the dynamic sense of camera movement and the heart pounding action. There's no reason to not stream this on Tubi, Paramount+ or Hulu!
7. Fightville (2011)
- MMA is one of the hardest sports out there, but it’s also a potential site for dreams, redemption and self-transformation. Nowhere is that more evident than in Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s documentary. Following a team of fighters, it’s as emotionally engaging as the trailer suggests and is now on demand via YouTube and Prime video!
6. Ferrari (2023)
- Michael Mann’s storied career has been filled with men in suits caught in the web of money and power, but nowhere has he been more successful than this biopic. With great performances including Adam Driver as the titular Enzo Ferrari, even the trailer is pure magic. Thank goodness he spent two decades trying to get this made, and thank goodness it’s now streaming on Hulu and Disney+!
5. The Swimmers (2022)
- America’s dirty war against Syria once dominated headlines, but somewhere amidst all the noise the real human faces of those caught in the middle were lost. Sally El-Hosaini’s movie seeks to fix that. Following two sisters who escape across the Mediterranean sea and eventually find themselves in the Olympics, it’s full of lush lighting and a strong sense of character development. True stories never felt so real. Now streaming on Netflix! Trailer
4. Night and the City (1950)
- This noir by Jules Dassin is about a second-rate conman looking to break into the pro wrestling promotion business only to get ensnared by corruption, betrayal and murder. With great performances and some classic chiaroscuro cinematography, this might be one of my all-time favorites. It might not be a ‘sports film’ per se, but I do think it’s got a lot to say about sports and the gambling underbelly that keeps them afloat. Now streaming for free on YouTube!
3. Minding the Gap (2018)
- Skateboarding will always have a special place in my heart. It provided an escape alongside a close-knit community of fellow misfits, and even the trailer of Bing Liu’s documentary manages to capture that. Following a group of friends using something as simple as a piece of wood with wheels to navigate the complexities of growing up in the rust belt, it’s a special piece of filmmaking that’s streaming exclusively on Hulu.
2.Bring it On (2000)
- You cannot talk about sports films without talking about the cultural phenomenon that was Peyton Reed’s debut feature. Centered on a group of sassy cheerleaders whose world is turned upside down when they discover their championship routine is stolen from an underprivileged school, it’s as fun as the trailer would have you think, but is also a really smart and layered commentary on race, class and coming-of-age. Now streaming free on Tubi!
1. Raging Bull (1980)
- It’s funny that Martin Scorsese’s on the record as not being the biggest fan of boxing, because while I can definitely tell thanks to how he shoots the fight scenes here, this is still a must-see. Following the life of Jake LaMotta, it’s a brutal story about poverty, loneliness, failure and so much more. Trailer
