Running across the baseball pitch in the last few seconds to score the winning run. Dodging the defenders to kick in the deciding goal. Landing the knockout punch in the ring. The sound of the audience erupting into thunderous applause. That thrill, that adrenaline, that exhilaration is unmatched. Sports movies are popular because they let these experiences and feelings seep through the screen and touch the viewers at home. In this article, we have brought you a list of the best sports films to indulge in.
Some people say movies are based on real-life experiences. And some say that people in real life start emulating the movies with time. Whatever the truth, we cannot deny that movies and people’s lives have intertwined.
This is more so the case with sports films, where we witness a slice of real and fictional sportspersons’ lives. We see their struggle, perseverance, undeniable grit, and iron-strong will to hone their skills and win. And in turn, we get inspired.
Sometimes we win the game and, sometimes we lose. But what matters most is that we don’t lose our way in the game of life.
So, here we are with a list of the best sports films (in no definite order) to inspire and entertain you.
35 Best Sports Movies:
1. The Way Back
- Director: Gavin O’Connor
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal
- IMDb: 6.7/10
- Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime
The Way Back Review:
Ben Affleck nails the role of a has-been Jack Cunningham and his depressive reluctance in life. This is the classic story of the last chance at redemption as the lead finds his way back to his high school to coach the basketball team.
Little do people know that just like his character Affleck, he too went through alcoholism and had a similar arc to Cunningham. This was the first movie he filmed after coming out of rehab. So, in a way, this movie was Affleck’s redemption arc, just like in the film. It sometimes hits too close to real life, doesn’t it?
2. Personal Best
- Director: Robert Towne
- Cast: Mariel Hemingway, Scott Glenn
- IMDb: 6.3/10
- Streaming on: Vudu, Google Play
Personal Best Review:
Just like the comparatively pitiful representation of women in sports and its media coverage, there are not many sports films about women. Thus, this 1980s film about the women’s track team broke a lot of glass ceilings. That being said, this film lies in the sports genre as well as the drama category.
Hemingway trained for around nine months to perfect her role as the athlete. The amazing fact is that Patrice Donnelly played the love interest and teammate of the lead. She was a real-life Olympic athlete who was a part of the 3rd ranking in the world Montreal 1976 U.S. Olympics athletics pentathlon team.
3. Bad News Bears
- Director: Michael Ritchie
- Cast: Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal
- IMDb: 7.3/10
- Streaming on: Vudu, Amazon Instant Video
Bad News Bears Review:
This film is one of those underdog stories where a rock-bottom coach gets together his rag-tag team to win in a competitive Californian league. This sports comedy film got a remake in 2005 with a slight change in the title.
Tatum O’Neal had trained for several weeks with a professional sports trainer and did most of her stunts on her own. Watching this film gives you a documentary feel because they used handheld cameras in several baseball scenes
4. Million Dollar Baby
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Cast: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu
Million Dollar Baby Review:
This multiple Academy Award-winning film is bound to make it to every best sports film list deservedly! This film is about the gritty story of a female boxer, and her trainer played in theatres for over six months. It shows how it is never too late to pursue your passion in life if you have the iron-strong will.
The bonding between coach Frankie and Maggie, whom he starts loving like a daughter, is bound to move you to tears by the end. Few people know that Morgan Freeman was initially approached for Frankie Dunn’s role. Still, he decided to take the role of Scrap Iron. It was even before Eastwood came on board.
5. Coach Carter
- Director: Thomas Carter
- Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez
- IMDb: 7.3/10
- Streaming on: Amazon Prime
Coach Carter Review:
This film takes a fresh break from the ‘sports is everything and there is no meaning to life if you lose’ attitude most sports films have. It is set in a neighborhood where kids have only two options – crime or sports. The basketball coach Carter, the school, makes the players sign contracts to do well in their studies to play.
He threatens to bench the entire team if they go against his deal, and he does so too. The coach faces huge backlash but sticks to his aim to give the students different options for their future. This biographical film is about the life of Ken Carter, who was on set every day as a consultant. Casting Jackson in the titular role was his suggestion too.
6. Bull Durham
- Director: Ron Shelton
- Cast: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon
- IMDb: 7.0/10
- Streaming on: Netflix, Amazon Instant Video
Bull Durham Plot:
This romantic sports comedy revolves around Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team. There is a love story brewing between the polar opposites Crash and Annie as they train Ebby Calvin into being a big-league pitcher. Director Shelton was himself a minor league baseball player in his days.
He used his real-life experiences to shape the movie and give it details. There is a scene of a confrontation that takes place outside of a bar where Crash says to Nuke that he won’t be able to hit the water with his bat even if he fell out of a boat! This same incident happened when the manager of the Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda, said this to Kurt Bevacqua in 1984.
7. All the Right Moves
- Director: Michael Chapman
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Lea Thompson
- IMDb: 5.9/10
- Streaming on: Hulu, Vudu
All the Right Moves Plot:
This film in the sports drama genre is set in the background of an economically malfunctioning town in western Pennsylvania. A Serbian teen Stefen is an athletically gifted student but has altercations with his coach. He feels trapped like a hamster in a small town where he sees no future.
A very fun fact most people don’t know is that both Cruise and Thompson were told to go undercover and attend different high schools so that they could give authentic performances as high schoolers. Tom Cruise was found out in a day due to his popularity, but Lea Thompson lasted four days and was approached by many guys on dates.
8. The Hustler
- Director: Robert Rossen
- Cast: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason
- IMDb: 8.0/10
- Streaming on: Hulu
The Hustler Plot:
This is one of the best sports films and is highly rated. After most baseball ones, it is about a small-time pool player. He challenges a legendary pool player Charlie and keeps winning until the last game, where he loses.
He falls in love with a girl, comes in contact with a gambler, gets beaten, and then returns to win against Charlie again. And that is what life is about. Famous boxer Jake LaMotta made an appearance as a bartender.
Gleason was an experienced pool player who did most of his shots in the movie. Compared to that, Newman was an amateur and had to learn the skills for the first time for the movie.
9. He Got Game
- Director: Spike Lee
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, Ray Allen
- IMDb: 6.9/10
- Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
He Got Game Plot:
The movie is about a very talented basketball-playing teen and his strained relationship with his father, who is in jail. Another story of a prostitute and her salvation is intertwined with his. Ray Allen, a professional sportsperson who played the son’s role for 18 seasons in the NBA.
The lesser-known fact is director Lee had first offered the role to Kobe Bryant. Bryant had loved the script but decided to opt out as the filming year 1997 was too important for him in basketball to waste time shooting movies. Recently, movie fans have had a happy update that Lee and Allen were talking about a sequel.
10. The Karate Kid
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita
- IMDb: 7.3/10
- Streaming on: Netflix
The Karate Kid Plot:
This underdog story about a bullied teen and his martial arts trainer needs no introduction. It has remakes as well as sequels. It was remade in 2010 with Jaden Smith, but the catch was that movie is about kung fu even though it is named the ‘karate’ kid for promotional reasons.
In the 1984 version, the studio had asked to cut the scene where Mr. Miyagi gets drunk. However, the director fought for it, and in the end, that scene got Morita his Oscar nomination. William Zabka, who played the role of the antagonist bully, still owns the red jacket that he wore in this film.
11. Rocky
- Director: John G. Avildsen
- Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Streaming on: Netflix
Rocky Review:
You cannot miss this film if you are anything emulating a sports fan. This all-time classic movie stars Sylvester Stallone. At the same time, this movie was also written by him.
It is about a small-time club fighter who gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go against professional fighters and become the world heavyweight champion.
Stallone wrote the script in three days but remained adamant that he won’t allow it to be filmed if he wasn’t cast in the lead role. The film swept up ten Academy Award nominations and won three of them.
Rocky’s Adorable pet dog Butkus:
The cute pet dog in the film Rocky, named Butkus, was Sylvester Stallone’s real-life dog. Before he got the part in Rocky, he was planning on selling his pet as he did not have enough money to feed him.
12. Pride of the Yankees
- Director: Sam Wood
- Cast: Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright
- IMDb: 7.6/10
- Streaming on: Amazon Instant Video, Google Play
This movie is bound to be one of the favorites of any baseball fan.
Pride of the Yankees Plot:
It narrates the life and career of a famous major league baseball player – Lou Gehrig. The film was released around 1.5 years after Gehrig’s death. The fun fact is that the lead Cooper had never even touched a baseball bat before shooting for this movie and was not a fan!
In the movie, Wright plays the character of Lou Gehrig’s wife, Eleanor Gehrig. She wears a bracelet comprising seven World Championship emblems in her scenes. It is the original bracelet that Gehrig had gifted to his wife, and Mrs. Gehrig brought that to the set for filming. It has an inscription – “To Eleanor, with all my love forever, Lou, Sept. 29, 1937.”
13. Bend it like Beckham
- Director: Gurinder Chadha
- Cast: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley
- IMDb: 6.7/10
- Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu
Bend it like Beckham Plot:
A British Indian girl with mad soccer skills is barred from playing it by her parents. It is the story of how she rebels against her parents and joins a team to play soccer. David Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham make an appearance in the end!
In the wedding scene, most of the guests were not professional actors but Indian relatives of the director. This movie became the first one to be allowed to screen in the protected regime of North Korea. Keira Knightley went on to star in a Jane Austen movie – Pride and Prejudice, and so did her onscreen mother, Juliet Stevenson, in the Austen movie – Emma.
14. Miracle
- Director: Gavin O’Connor
- Cast: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson
- IMDb: 7.4/10
- Streaming on: Amazon Instant Video, Vudu
Miracle Plot:
This film is one of the best sports films of all time as it showcases the victory of an ice hockey team against the powerful Soviet Union squad. It is a biography about real-life coach Herb Brooks of the University of Minnesota and how he trains young athletes. The American team defeated the Soviets and then went on to beat the Finland team to finally win the gold in the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Not many people know that Kurt Russell willingly took a pay cut so that the money could be utilized to give a thousand extras (who played the audience members) a hot meal instead of just a brown packet at lunch. Unfortunately, Herb Brooks passed away during the film’s final editing, and I could not see it.
15. The Wrestler
- Director: Darren Aronofsky
- Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei
- IMDb: 7.9
- Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
The Wrestler Plot:
Along with being a sports movie, it is also a psychological drama. An aging wrestler with fading fame tries his best to cling to his days of glory. The film also revolves around his estranged relationship with his daughter and a budding romance with a stripper.
Few people know that Rourke used actual razor blades to cut his forehead in the juicing (a process in professional wrestling where wrestlers cut themselves to induce bleeding) scene to do method acting. Axl Rose very charitably gave them the right to use the song “Sweet Child O’Mine” free of cost because the budget of this movie was very low.
16. The Damned United
- Director: Tom Hooper
- Cast: Colm Meaney, Henry Goodman,
- IMDb: 7.5
- Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu
Brian Howard Clough was one of the few managers. They managed to win the English Premier League trophy while managing two different clubs!
In 1974, he had a cursed stint at Leeds United as a manager for only 44 days. David Peace wrote a fictional account of these events in a best-selling book called The Damned United, on which this film is based.
The Damned United Behind the scenes:
A fun fact that soccer fans would love to know is that the scenes that originally took place in the Derby County training field were shot on a football pitch that overlooked the actual Leeds United stadium.
17. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
- Director: Adam McKay
- Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly
- IMDb: 6.6
- Streaming on: Hulu
This comedy film is about the sport of car racing and features a man becoming the top driver in NASCAR and all the troubles that come with it. Sacha Baron Cohen stars as Ricky Bobby’s archrival, a French Formula One driver who is openly gay.
Behind the scenes of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby:
There is a song in the film “Goodbye Cowboy,” and Will Ferrell’s father, Lee Ferrell, wrote it and sang it! Also, the woman we see as the artist of the painting at brunch in Girad’s house is the actual artist who made that painting.
18. Battle of the Sexes
- Director: Jonathan Dayton
- Cast: Emma Stone, Steve Carrell
- IMDb: 6.7
- Streaming on: Disney Plus
Battle of the Sexes Plot:
This film portrayed the legendary match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King fought against the tennis pay inequality between men and women. Riggs bragged that even at 55 years of age, he could take any of the current playing women. But then he was humbled in the end.
This was the second film where Stone and Carrell played together after the romcom “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Even though Stone was initially considered Billy Jean King, she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Brie Larson. But after Larson dropped, she came in again and gained 15 pounds of muscle for the role.
19. The Longest Yard
- Director: Robert Aldrich
- Cast: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert
- IMDb: 7.1
- Streaming on: Hulu
This movie later came to be known as the “Mean Machine”. It is about a former quarterback in prison putting together a football team with convicts to play against the guards. Some of the actors in the film, like Burt Reynolds, Mike Henry, Joe Kapp, Pervin Atkins, and Ray Nitschke, had played professional football at their respective Universities.
When the movie was shot, a prisoner Harold Morris was an inmate in prison. He was wrongly accused and got a full pardon later. After getting out, he wrote an autobiographical book, “Twice Pardoned,” where he described his encounters with Reynolds and how he was very friendly with them.
20. Major League
- Director: David S. Ward
- Cast: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen
- IMDb: 7.2
- Streaming on: Hulu, Vudu
Major League Plot:
A rich widow Phelps inherits a major league baseball team, the Cleveland Indians, but intentionally puts together a dysfunctional bad team. Hence, they lose and can be relocated to Miami. But the team comes to know of this and gives it their all to win.
The different members of the team are initially at loggerheads with each other. Still, soon a camaraderie is formed to face the big bad Phelps.
Director Ward is originally a huge fan of the Cleveland Indians. In his school days, Sheen was offered a baseball scholarship to Kansas University and was a very good pitcher. He later confessed to having been taking steroids during the shooting of this film.
21. Eight Men Out
- Director: John Sayles
- Cast: John Cusack, Clifton James, Charlie Sheen
- IMDb: 7.2
- Streaming on: Netflix
Remember the Black Sox scandal of 1919? Ardent baseball fans will no doubt remember the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, where eight members of the Sox were accused of intentionally throwing the 1919 World Series. This movie is a dramatized version of that event.
This is the second baseball movie where Charlie Sheen played the role of a player (after Major League). The famous line “Say it ain’t so, Joe” was uttered by a child after the debacle and published by a reporter standing close. This scene was included in the movie.
22. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
- Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber
- Cast: Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor
- IMDb: 6.7
- Streaming on: Vudu, Amazon Instant Video
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story Plot:
There is a local dodgeball tournament where the locals enter as an underdog team to win against the rich and cocky White Goodman, who was planning on demolishing the local gym. He planned to start a luxurious corporate fitness chain.
During the release of this movie, many adult dodgeball teams came up around the country. Who says reel life doesn’t inspire real life?
Most people don’t know, but in the wrench-throwing scenes, real wrenches were used. But after one thrown wrench cut open Ben Stiller’s eyebrows, they were replaced with rubber ones.
23. Love and Basketball
- Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
- Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps
- IMDb: 7.2
- Streaming on: Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
Love and Basketball Plot:
This romantic sports drama revolves around two basketball players – Quincy and Monica, who were neighbors and friends from childhood. They struggle with their respective basketball careers and try to sort out their feelings for each other.
Lathan had never played basketball before and had to train under a basketball coach for two months. She had a scar on her cheek, and the director wanted to incorporate that into the story. Thus, the scene where Monica is pushed and falls down is included.
24. Caddyshack
- Director: Harold Ramis
- Cast: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield
- IMDb: 7.2
- Streaming on: Amazon Instant Video
Caddyshack Review:
This sports comedy definitely makes it to the best sports films list primarily because it sets a precedent for similar sports comedies. After garnering fame as a stand-up comedian, Dangerfield came to the limelight with this movie.
That was the first time Ramis came on set as a director. It is an all-time favorite for sports fans. Bill Murray improvised a lot of his scenes in Caddyshack. One popular scene is where Carl threatens Angie with a pitchfork, and the pitchfork is a real one!
25. Moneyball
- Director: Bennett Miller
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright
- IMDb: 7.6
- Streaming on: Amazon Prime, Hulu
Moneyball Plot:
Michael Lewis wrote an account of the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics baseball team in his non-fiction book. It is about a general manager and his assistant. They are trying to assemble an efficient team with a very limited budget. Thus, they create a computer analysis to scout out potential players.
There is a scene where one of the scouts rejects a player because he has a seemingly unattractive girlfriend. He explains why the player must not have confidence in himself to have such an ugly partner. It is taken from a real-life incident where the scout gave the reason that it means the player has bad eyesight. You decide which one is worse!
26. Tin Cup
- Director: Ron Shelton
- Cast: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo
- IMDb: 6.4
- Streaming on: Hulu
Tin Cup Review:
A golf player with fading fame. Arch-rival. Chemistry with the rival’s love interest. A high-stakes competition. This film has all the ingredients for a sports comedy with romance. Even though the movie ends with winning, it has a happy aftertaste.
Kostner played the role of Roy McAvoy, nicknamed Tin Cup, and most of the golf shots in the movie are shots made by Kostner. Before Johnson, the director had considered Pierce Brosnan to play the role of the rival David Simms.
27. Chariots of Fire
- Director: Hugh Hudson
- Cast: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson
- IMDb: 7.1
- Streaming on: Hulu
This British entry into the list of best sports films is about two athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics. This film revolves around an English Jewish fella and a Scottish Christian.
They faced challenges due to their respective cultures and beliefs. This dramatization of a true story picked up four Oscars out of its seven nominations.
Why was Chariots of Fire Criticized?
This film received a lot of bad criticism from the French audience and press as it showed the French in a bad light. The people of France were called “an unprincipled lot”, “frogs,” etc. An interesting fact is that despite all of these, the film got a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival.
28. When We Were Kings
- Director: Leon Gast
- Cast: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman
- IMDb: 8.0
- Streaming on: Netflix, Hulu
This Oscar-winning documentary shows the events of the legendary boxing match called – Rumble in the Jungle. George Foreman and Muhammad Ali fought against each other in the Heavyweight Championship of 1974. It is rated as one of the best sports films and is justifiably regarded as one of the best boxing movies ever made.
Are Foreman and Ali Still Rivals?
The two archrivals had long since made their peace with each other. When this film won the Oscar, Ali had Parkinson’s disease, and Foreman helped him up the stairs. They made it clear to the world that they respected each other and their talents.
29. Slap Shot
- Director: George Roy Hill
- Cast: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean
- IMDb: 7.3
- Streaming on: Netflix, Vudu
Slap Shot Plot:
This entry of the 1970s film is for the hockey fans out there. The film’s title arguably refers to one of the hardest shots one can make in ice hockey due to the violent motion needed. Set in the background of a small Pennsylvanian town, it is about a hockey team and its new violent style of playing, which had enthralled the locals.
The apartment of Reggie, as shown in the film, is the apartment of real-life Bruce Boudreau. He was currently playing for the hockey team Johnstown Jets, on which the team in the movie Chiefs was based.
30. Ali
- Director: Michael Mann
- Cast: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx
- IMDb: 6.7
- Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video
Ali Plot:
This biographical sports movie chronicles the important events in the life of renowned boxer Muhammad Ali. The movie touches upon his big initial win, his religious engagements, his controversial break from his boxing career, and his ultimate professional rivalry with George Foreman.
Will Smith does a commendable job portraying Ali’s gritty style inside the arena. A relatively unknown fact is that initially, Will Smith had turned down the role of Ali.
Still, the famed boxer personally called Smith up and requested him to take the role. They established a good connection after that. Even after Ali’s death, Will Smith was one of the pallbearers at the former’s funeral.
31. Foxcatcher
- Director: Bennett Miller
- Cast: Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
- IMDb: 7.0
- Streaming on: Netflix
The two Schultz brothers – Mark and Dave, are US Olympic wrestling champions. This sports psychological thriller has a star-studded cast that boasts three golden globe awards. Carrell is perfectly cast as an eerie multimillionaire philanthropist John Du Pont who tries to manipulate the brothers.
A Fun Fact About Foxcatcher:
Carrell had gone so much into the character with his method of acting that even the rest of the cast was afraid of him. Ruffalo later said that the rest of the cast preferred to stay away from him while he was in makeup.
32. A League of Their Own
- Director: Penny Marshall
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis
- IMDb: 7.3
- Streaming on: Hulu
A League of Their Own Plot:
This film is set in the background of the impending World War II, where the first female baseball league is opened at the professional level. Two talented sisters join, and it results in an escalating sibling rivalry. It received a lot of fame and found its place in the US National Film Registry.
People generally don’t realize that besides Geena Davis, all the women cast as players in the baseball team were good players and did their stunts themselves. The director ensured that actors wore authentic, woolen uniforms even in that sweltering heat they shot.
33. The Endless Summer
- Director: Bruce Brown
- Cast: Robert August, Michael Hynson
- IMDb: 7.6
- Streaming on: Amazon Instant Video, Vudu
This film will be better termed as a series of surfing documentaries. Director Bruce Brown patiently followed around surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August and collected their stories. He narrates their tales as well as the life events of the related locals.
Few people know that Brown invested fifty thousand dollars of his own money in promoting the film. After it became popular, he was justifiably nicknamed the “surfing millionaire” as the movie garnered around thirty million dollars.
34. Hoop Dreams
- Director: Steve James
- Cast: William Gates, Arthur Agee
- IMDb: 8.3
- Streaming on: Amazon Instant Video, Hulu
Hoop Dreams Plot:
The film traps the struggle of making it as college basketball players and will resonate with even the youths of today. This American documentary is about two boys in Chicago and the lengths they will go to realize their lifelong dream of being successful in this game of hoops. The uncut version consisted of 250 hours of footage filmed over five years.
Even after the film garnered praise, none of the two boys or their families received any payment as they were still in school. However, later they received equal shares as the producer and became full-time partners.
35. White Men Can’t Jump
- Director: Ron Shelton
- Cast: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson
- IMDb: 6.8
- Streaming on: Hulu
Our last entry in the list of best sports films is not exactly basketball, but a variation called Streetball.
White Men Can’t Jump Plot:
It is about a talented but cocky black player, Sidney, and a skilled white streetball player, Billy, who hustles other players. The people get duped because they assume that a white guy cannot possibly play very well.
The film became so popular that it gave way to the production of a video game. The instructors who coached the two actors in basketball claimed that both the boys got very good at the game and could have played in an NCAA Division III team.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane- what are some of YOUR memories with “White Men Can’t Jump”?
Do you remember where you first watched this movie? How old you were? Who you watched with? Favorite part?
Drop your memories below! #WMCJ #whitemencantjump pic.twitter.com/BOdIsq294N
— Wesley Snipes (@wesleysnipes) April 10, 2022
Phew! That is a long list. Anytime you sports fans want to take a break from watching sports in real-time, take your pick from this extensive list to get your dose of drama, adrenaline, and inspiration.
