Many of the best sports movies are based on the inspirational lives of real people. These movies showcase the determination, skill, and spirit of individuals who often overcame obstacles on on their way to success. Some of the most amazing sports stars have lives that are far more compelling and complex than any fictional tale could ever be. (Read about the 40 most successful athletes of the 21st century.)
Whether these movies highlight the determination of an underdog facing adversity or the camaraderie that takes teamwork to a level beyond technical accomplishment, these stories show the heart and humanity of revered athletes. At their best, they prove to us that with dedication and focus, anyone can achieve their goals.
To determine the best sports movies based on reality, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings from IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a blend of audience and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of April 2023, weighting all ratings equally. Documentaries were not considered. Cast credits were sourced from IMDb.
Several of the best sports films follow the journeys of football players and teams, depicting stories that range from high school teams that unite their communities, to college athletes that defy physical limitations, to NFL stars overcoming homelessness or financial hardships to achieve their dreams.
Some of the listed films involve crimes, including “I, Tonya,” which portrays figure skater Tonya Harding and her role in the 1994 attack on competitor Nancy Kerrigan. And “Foxcatcher,” which follows the tragic story of wrestlers, brothers Mark and David Schultz, and their association with a wealthy DuPont heir who would eventually murder one of them.
These films portray the lives of coaches, boxers, golfers, racecar drivers, tennis players, ski jumpers, runners and more. They feature well-known figures like Muhammad Ali and Lou Gehrig, as well as lesser-known stars like Scottish golfer Tommy Morris, New Zealand speedbike racer Burt Munro, and the First Lady of Drag Racing, Shirley Muldowney. (Here are the most exciting races in Indy 500 history.)
Here are 50 must-see sports movies based on real events:
50. We Are Marshall (2006)
- Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (62,550 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (202,817 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (126 reviews)
“We Are Marshall” tells the tragic story of the 1970 Marshall University football team. After a fatal plane crash claimed the lives of most team members returning from a game in North Carolina, the film follows a surviving player and the new coach as they rebuild the team and the spirit of the community in West Virginia.
49. Tommy’s Honour (2016)
- Starring: Benjamin Wainwright, Peter Mullan, Jack Lowden
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (1,183 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (1,416 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (83 reviews)
“Tommy’s Honour,” released in 2016, is set in 1860s Scotland and details the early challenges faced by golfers. The film follows the dedicated young Tommy Morris as he wins his first Open Championship, and begins to surpassand challenge his father, who was a trailblazer in the sport.
48. Ali (2001)
- Starring: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (101,040 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (107,316 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 68% (156 reviews)
This film explores the complex life of heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali from 1964 to 1974. During this period, he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, won the world heavyweight championship, and lost his title because of his conscientious objection to the U.S. military draft.
47. Prefontaine (1997)
- Starring: Jared Leto, R. Lee Ermey, Ed O’Neill
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (7,410 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (7,358 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 56% (36 reviews)
Prefontaine traces the story of long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, beginning with his early days as a high school athlete, to his participation in the 1972 Olympics, to his tragic death at the age of 24.
46. Million Dollar Arm (2014)
- Starring: Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Alan Arkin
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (46,520 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (35,574 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (149 reviews)
This film is inspired by the true story of Major League Baseball pitchers Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who were recruited by a brave sports agent after winning a reality television competition in India, despite having no prior baseball experience.
45. Concussion (2015)
- Starring: Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (96,435 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (32,813 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 58% (207 reviews)
“Concussion,” based on Jeanne Marie Laskas’s 2009 exposé “Game Brain,” portrays Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-American pathologist who challenges the National Football League’s denial of the connection between football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
44. 80 for Brady (2023)
- Starring: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (4,954 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (2,500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (122 reviews)
This comedy was inspired by the story of four best friends and devoted New England Patriots fans who are determined to meet Tom Brady. The movie follows the group as they win tickets to the Super Bowl, encountering numerous obstacles along the way.
43. Lords of Dogtown (2005)
- Starring: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (56,006 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (68,359 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 55% (146 reviews)
Former professional skateboarder and surfer Stacey Peralta looks back on his youth as a member of the Z-Boys, an iconic group of skateboarders from Santa Monica and Venice who revolutionized the sport.
42. Dreamer (2005)
- Starring: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Oded Fehr
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (13,504 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (90,730 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (117 reviews)
“Dreamer” tells the true story of Maria’s Storm, a thoroughbred racehorse. The film follows a young girl who begs her father to keep an injured horse, and together they help the horse recover and return to racing.
41. The Express (2008)
- Starring: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (22,275 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (820,228 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 62% (121 reviews)
Based on the life of Ernie Davis, a football star and the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, “The Express” follows Davis from his childhood in Pennsylvania to his years at Syracuse University, where he led the team to an undefeated season and a national championship in 1960. Despite encountering racism both on and off the field, Davis persevered and became very successful.
40. Secretariat (2010)
- Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Margo Martindale
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (29,062 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (49,978 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (158 reviews)
When an inexperienced housewife takes over her father’s stables, she gets guidance from a veteran trainer to navigate the male-dominated world of horse racing. Together, they lead Secretariat to victory, becoming the first in 25 years to win the coveted Triple Crown.
39. Invincible (2006)
- Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (72,150 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (87,684 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (136 reviews)
“Invincible” tells the unlikely story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender from South Philadelphia who earned a spot on the Philadelphia Eagles team in 1976, after the coach held an open tryout.
38. Goon (2011)
- Starring: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (87,901 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (22,823 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (106 reviews)
“Goon” is based on Doug Smith’s autobiography, describing the career of a gentl man from an intellectual background who unexpectedly finds fulfillment as a tough enforcer on a minor league hockey team.
37. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
- Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Elias Koteas
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (31,481 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (62,591 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (112 reviews)
“The Greatest Game Ever Played” recounts the story of Francis Ouimet, an American amateur golfer from humble beginnings who, at just 20 years old, faced off against his idol, British Open champion Harry Vardon.
36. Battle of the Sexes (2017)
- Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (56,653 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (15,846 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (318 reviews)
“Battle of the Sexes” dramatizes the unforgettable 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King and former men’s champion Bobby Riggs, which became one of the most-watched sports events in television history.
35. The Rookie (2002)
- Starring: Dennis Quaid, J.D. Evermore, Rachel Griffiths
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (35,440 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (61,164 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (155 reviews)
After a shoulder injury derails Jim Morris’s dream of playing Major League Baseball, he becomes a high school teacher and baseball coach. But, a stroke of fate helps him achieve his dream, finally making it to the Major Leagues in his late 30s.
34. Coach Carter (2005)
- Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri’chard
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (153,299 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (406,791 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (150 reviews)
When a new coach takes over a struggling high school basketball team, he enforces a strict regime that transforms them into undefeated champions. However, when the students’ poor academic performance does not meet expectations, he benches the entire team until they improve their grades.
33. Foxcatcher (2014)
- Starring: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (144,170 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (57,452 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (248 reviews)
“Foxcatcher” is based on the true story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz and his relationship with John du Pont, the wealthy heir to the du Pont chemical fortune. The film follows John’s increasingly erratic and destructive behavior, which leads to the tragic murder of Schultz’s brother Dave.
32. Invictus (2009)
- Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (161,444 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (211,985 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (246 reviews)
“Invictus” is a snapshot of Nelson Mandela’s first term as President of South Africa, as he works with the captain of the Springboks rugby team, Francois Pienaar, to help unite the country in the wake of Apartheid by getting their team to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship.
31. Greater (2016)
- Starring: Neal McDonough, Leslie Easterbrook, Christopher Severio
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (6,455 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (3,191 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (15 reviews)
“Greater” tells the inspiring story of Brandon Burlsworth, a walk-on college football player who overcomes ridicule about his weight to become one of the best players on his team. Sadly, just 11 days after being drafted into the NFL, he was killed in a car crash.
30. Seabiscuit (2003)
- Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (74,088 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (118,456 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (206 reviews)
This film chronicles the racing career of Seabiscuit, an undersized and overlooked thoroughbred racehorse who became famous during the Great Depression, and ultimately recognized as one of the most significant cultural icons of the era and the top racehorse of the 1930s.
29. Cool Runnings (1993)
- Starring: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (106,274 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (533,040 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (42 reviews)
“Cool Runnings” is loosely based on the story of the first Jamaican national bobsleigh team and their debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The film follows the underdog team and their disgraced former Olympian coach as they defy the odds and win hearts of people around the world.
28. The Blind Side (2009)
- Starring: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (336,377 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (431,935 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (206 reviews)
Based on Michael Lewis’s 2006 book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” this film tells the story of NFL player Michael Oher. It details his youth as a homeless teenager who is taken in by a wealthy family, who eventually become his legal guardians.
27. Fear Strikes Out (1957)
- Starring: Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden, Norma Moore
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (1,832 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77% (1,214 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (24 reviews)
Based on the memoir of Major League Baseball player Jimmy Piersall, this film depicts Piersall’s struggle with anxiety and depression. Driven to his breaking point by his overbearing father, Piersall suffers a nervous breakdown and is eventually institutionalized.
26. A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
- Starring: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringarm, Cherry Miko
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (24,259 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (1,843 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (63 reviews)
“A Prayer Before Dawn” recounts the trials of English boxer Billy Moore. Struggling with addiction in Thailand, Moore finds himself imprisoned in a notoriously brutal facility. To survive and gain his freedom, he competes in Muay Thai tournaments in the prison.
25. Eddie the Eagle (2015)
- Starring: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Tom Costello
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (94,751 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (22,932 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (203 reviews)
“Eddie the Eagle” recounts the inspiring story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards, a determined and dedicated young athlete who defies the odds to become Britain’s first Olympic ski jumper in 60 years.
24. A League of Their Own (1992)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (111,120 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (367,100 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (72 reviews)
This movie presents a fictionalized account of the WWII-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), focusing on two sisters recruited by the Rockford Peaches. As they try to keep the league alive, they have to navigate sexism and their own sibling rivalry.
23. Eight Men Out (1988)
- Starring: John Cusack, Clifton James, Jace Alexander
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (20,901 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (12,698 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (51 reviews)
Based on the Black Sox Scandal, this semi-fictionalized film depicts the conspiracy involving eight Chicago White Sox players who accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.
22. Friday Night Lights (2004)
- Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Jay Hernandez, Derek Luke
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (64,155 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (185,883 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (173 reviews)
“Friday Night Lights” follows the journey of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team from the economically struggling and racially divided town of Odessa, Texas, as they compete for the state championship carrying the hopes and dreams of their entire community.
21. The Stratton Story (1949)
- Starring: James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Morgan
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (2,918 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (1,260 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (8 reviews)
After losing his leg in a hunting accident, star White Sox pitcher Monty Stratton’s story is about resilience and the support of his devoted wife. Despite his injury, Stratton learns how to navigate life with a prosthetic leg and makes a minor league comeback.
20. Without Limits (1998)
- Starring: Billy Crudup, Donald Sutherland, Monica Potter
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (7,220 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (7,861 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (39 reviews)
“Without Limits” portrays the bond between Steve Prefontaine, an Olympic track and field athlete in the 1972 Games, and Bill Bowerman, the famous track and field coach and co-founder of Nike.
19. McFarland, USA (2015)
- Starring: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (39,679 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (26,649 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (133 reviews)
After being fired from several teaching jobs, high school coach Jim White accepts a position at a predominantly Latino school in the agricultural town of McFarland, California. Once there, he turns around a struggling cross-country team, leading them to become one of the top teams in the state.
18. Rudy (1993)
- Starring: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (64,886 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (127,331 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (46 reviews)
Daniel “Rudy,” born in a steel mill town, dreams of playing football for the University of Notre Dame. Despite having low grades, no money for college, and a small physique, Rudy remains determined to follow his dreams, however, and works tirelessly to make the team.
17. Miracle (2004)
- Starring: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Nathan West
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (55,605 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (57,108 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (165 reviews)
Guided by player-turned-coach Herb Brooks, the 1980 United States men’s Olympic hockey team prepares for the challenge of the 1980 Winter Olympics, where they face off against the formidable Soviet team.
16. Remember the Titans (2000)
- Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (218,344 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (578,366 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (135 reviews)
“Remember the Titans” chronicles the racial integration of a Virginia high school in 1971, focusing on the school’s football team. The story follows the Black head coach and white defensive coordinator working together to unify the team and encourage the players to overcome their differences.
15. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
- Starring: Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (8,418 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (2,418 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (12 reviews)
This biopic about legendary American boxer Rocky Graziano tells the story of his journey from being a troubled youth and Army deserter to becoming the World Middleweight Champion.
14. The Hurricane (1999)
- Starring: Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon, Deborah Kara Unger
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (98,363 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (55,668 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (114 reviews)
Based on the life of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, a boxer who was wrongly convicted of murder, this film follows Carter’s nearly two-decade-long incarceration and the relentless efforts of a compassionate teenager named Lesra Martin who fought for Carter’s innocence.
13. Heart Like a Wheel (1983)
- Starring: Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges, Bruce Barlow
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (1,477 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (2,172 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (10 reviews)
“Heart Like a Wheel” tells the story of Shirley Muldowney as she breaks gender barriers by becoming the first woman licensed to drive top fuel dragsters. Overcoming significant challenges, she goes on to win multiple championships and become a drag racing icon.
12. Chariots of Fire (1981)
- Starring: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (61,896 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (25,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (113 reviews)
“Chariots of Fire” follows the experiences of two British athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics: one, a devout Christian who sees running as a way of honoring God, and the other, a Jewish athlete who uses running to challenge prejudices despite his privileged background.
11. Fighting with My Family (2019)
- Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (82,697 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (5,034 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (241 reviews)
This comedy-drama revolves around a family of former professional wrestlers, focusing on their children as they audition for the WWE. Daughter Paige is selected to train while her brother Zak is left in the cold.
10. The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
- Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd, Iain Rea
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (55,754 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (35,818 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (144 reviews)
This film is based on the life of Burt Munro, a New Zealand speed bike racer who set a land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in 1967. It details the years Munro spent rebuilding a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle.
9. Cinderella Man (2005)
- Starring: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Craig Bierko
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (189,703 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (282,263 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (215 reviews)
“Cinderella Man” recounts the life of James J. Braddock, a former light heavyweight boxer who facees hard times during the Great Depression. After working as a longshoreman despite having an injured hand, he uses the opportunity to make a remarkable comeback in boxing.
8. Hoosiers (1986)
- Starring: Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, Dennis Hopper
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (47,992 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (50,777 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (45 reviews)
“Hoosiers” draws inspiration from the 1954 Milan (Indiana) High School basketball team. The movie tells the story of a small-town Indiana school where a new coach attempts to transform the team into champions, with the help of a local drunkard.
7. I, Tonya (2017)
- Starring: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (219,878 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (12,586 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (384 reviews)
This film follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding as she overcomes socioeconomic barriers to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the Olympics. However, her involvement in a brutal attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan complicates her career and personal life.
6. Moneyball (2011)
- Starring: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (428,352 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (92,018 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (267 reviews)
Adapted from Michael Lewis’s 2003 book, “Moneyball” is an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team’s 2002 season and their manager Billy Beane’s innovative approach to building a competitive team through statistical analysis rather than traditional scouting methods.
5. The Fighter (2010)
- Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams
- IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (371,534 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (121,585 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (254 reviews)
“The Fighter” tells the story of young boxer “Irish” Micky Ward as he discovers his talent, while his trainer and older half-brother, former boxer Dicky Eklund, battles drug addiction.
4. Rush (2013)
- Starring:Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (482,996 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (79,330 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (235 reviews)
James Hunt and Niki Lauda are both talented Formula One race car drivers with contrasting styles who quickly become rivals, facing off during the intense 1976 racing season.
3. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
- Starring: Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (10,492 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (6,847 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (32 reviews)
“The Pride of the Yankees” pays tribute to the life of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, who spent 17 seasons with the New York Yankees, setting several major league records before becoming terminally ill with a rare, incurable neurodegenerative disease.
2. Raging Bull (1980)
- Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (356,943 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (131,523 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (76 reviews)
“Raging Bull” is adapted from the memoir Jake LaMotta, a brutal Italian-American middleweight boxing champion. The film portrays LaMotta’s self-destructive rage, which helped LaMotta in the ring but destroyed his family and personal life.
1. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
- Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (398,868 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (24,159 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (351 reviews)
Highlighting the rivalry between automakers Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari, this film follows a team of designers and engineers as they attempt to build a state-of-the-art racecar – the Ford GT40 – to defeat the Ferrari 330 P3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.