The 30 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time, Ranked (2024)

The idea of sport is something that dates back much further than the medium of film; thousands of years compared to the century and change moving pictures have been around. Still, movies have long been recognized for their ability to excite and inspire, much like the acts of participating in and watching sports do. As such, it feels only natural that the medium of film gets used to present sports on screen in an extra cinematic way, by telling either fictional stories or dramatic recreations of real-life sporting events.

The clashing together of sport and cinema has led to countless great sports movies being released throughout much of the 20th century and beyond, with it being one movie genre that's never really gone out of style. Plenty of talented filmmakers have found interesting and emotionally stirring ways to make all sorts of sports exciting and powerful when presented in the format of a movie; sometimes arguably being better than the real thing. Some of the sports genre's brightest shining examples are ranked below, starting with the very good sports movies and ending with the very best.

30 'The Iron Claw' (2023)

Directed by Sean Durkin

Though it’s a relatively recent film entry within the sports genre, The Iron Claw is undoubtedly impressive and feels like something of a classic of the 2020s so far. Like a good many sports movies, it’s inspired by real-life events, here being a retelling of the story of the Von Erich family, particularly several brothers who all aspire to be wrestlers while also wrestling their own personal demons.

It's far from a happy film, but it couldn’t be true to the real-life events without laying out various tragedies and moments of heartbreak that genuinely happened. The Iron Claw is nevertheless respectful and empathetic while it bravely tackles a difficult narrative and some heavy subject matter, and is a worthwhile drama – regardless of how interesting you might find wrestling as a sport – that’s easy to recommend for people who know what they're in for.

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29 'Tokyo Olympiad' (1965)

Directed by Kon Ichikawa

The most well-known film to deal with the 1964 Olympics in some way might well be the Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill, at least nowadays. That one’s not a sports movie, though, and has the buildup to the event play a part in the narrative. On the other hand, there’s something like Tokyo Olympiad, which is explicitly about the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, serving as a documentary that condenses the entire thing into less than three hours.

But, even further, calling Tokyo Olympiad just a documentary and leaving it at that would be underselling it, because it captures all the various sporting events in an extra impactful way, visually. Familiar sports sometimes look completely different, thanks to imaginative cinematography and the creative touch of director Kon Ichikawa, the entire epic documentary being so much more than just a highlight reel in a way that’s hard to fully explain with just words.

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28 'Enter the Dragon' (1973)

Directed by Robert Clouse

Though martial arts can often be a sport, most martial arts movies aren’t necessarily sports movies… though those that center around fighting tournaments heavily enough can qualify. Enter the Dragon is a great example, as not only is it an amazing martial arts/action movie, but much of it revolves around a competition (there’s more to it than just that, though; it’s not exclusively about the sports side of martial arts).

It was the biggest film Bruce Lee ever starred in during his tragically short acting career, and continues to stand to this day as the best showcase for his particular set of skills and fighting prowess. Enter the Dragon is paced well, features satisfying action, and is just very easy to appreciate and find entertainment within, making it an overall winner whether you choose to qualify it as an action film or a sports movie.

Enter the Dragon (1973)

R

Action

Crime

Thriller

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Release Date

August 19, 1973

Director

Robert Clouse

Cast

Bruce Lee , John Saxon , Jim Kelly , Ahna Capri

Runtime

102 minutes

27 'Challengers' (2024)

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

There’s a right way and a wrong way to handle a love triangle narratively, and Challengers thankfully falls into the category of movies that tackle such a trope the right way. It centers around two friends, both enthusiastic/up-and-coming tennis players who both fall in love with the same woman (also a tennis player), at which point a complex dynamic within this trio plays out over numerous years.

Challengers explores the interpersonal drama and the various ups and downs of competitive tennis in a non-chronological way that proves dizzying and oddly thrilling in equal measure. It does seem most focused on being a romantic drama, but there’s also a ton of effort put into capturing the sport of tennis in an immensely cinematic fashion, and the way tension builds to what ends up being the film’s final match is staggering.

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26 'Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India' (2001)

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker

Though a nearly four-hour runtime might run the risk of turning some people off, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India is an essential epic movie, and makes cricket seem like the most exciting thing in the world. It’s not a sport for everyone, given the relative complexity of it and the slow pace (matches can literally take five days, depending on the rules), but here, it’s made oddly thrilling and suspenseful.

There’s a great underdog narrative to Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. On paper, it might sound simple and familiar, but it’s all in the execution, and the slow building of stakes alongside developing endearing characters who are easy to root for. It’s arguably one of the best Indian films of the 21st century so far, and beyond simply being a sports movie, it also works as a romance film and something of a musical, too. It’s really got everything.

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25 'The Set-Up' (1949)

Directed by Robert Wise

Going through the filmography of Robert Wise makes it pretty clear that he was a filmmaker capable of tackling just about any genre. He was behind two highly acclaimed musicals with West Side Story and The Sound of Music, made a classic horror movie with The Haunting, tackled science fiction with The Day the Earth Stood Still, and made a fantastic blend of crime, sport, and a little film noir for good measure with 1949's The Set-Up.

Befitting the title, The Set-Up takes a look at the shadier side of the world of sports, being about betting and the idea of taking a dive to benefit those who take on certain odds. However, the main character – an aging boxer – has the kind of determination that could land him in trouble if he ends up defying the odds, which is where the film's conflict truly comes into play. It uses boxing as a way to unpack complex behind-the-scenes stuff, perhaps focusing on that more than the fighting itself as a result, but it remains an engaging watch either way.

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24 'Rudy' (1993)

Directed by David Anspaugh

About a decade before he played Samwise Gamgee in the decade-defining The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sean Astin played the titular character of Rudy: Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. Underdog stories are inherently popular within the sports genre, and Rudy's a film that demonstrates this well, with the focus being on how its main character defied the odds (and his short stature) to follow his dream of becoming a footballer.

Narratively, things will feel familiar to anyone who's seen even just a handful of sports movies before, but the solid filmmaking, writing, and acting all ensure it's still stirring and exciting, even for those who might not be wild about American football. It's also notable for featuring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in early roles, with the pair achieving further fame several years later by appearing in 1996's Swingers (which Favreau also wrote).

Rudy

PG

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Release Date

October 22, 1993

Director

David Anspaugh

Cast

Robert Prosky , Jon Favreau , Charles S. Dutton , Sean Astin , Ned Beatty

Runtime

114 minutes

23 'Chariots of Fire' (1981)

Directed by Hugh Hudson

Well-known for being a movie with plenty of slow-motion, Chariots of Fire is also noteworthy for being one of the rare sports movies to focus on running, specifically over a short distance. Perhaps the slow motion helps with the fact that the races in Chariots of Fire are over in less than a minute, given it's centered on running the 400-meter event at the 1924 Olympics. This is shown through the eyes of two runners, both of whom want to achieve greatness on an international scale.

It's far from the only sports movie to find success at the Oscars, but it is one of the most successful for that awards show, winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Another of its noteworthy wins was for Vangelis, who did the timeless score for the film which even those who haven't seen it will likely know for just how iconic it is. It's perhaps the composer's most widely known work, which is impressive, considering he also did the groundbreaking score for Blade Runner (which came out just one year after Chariots of Fire, too).

Chariots of Fire

PG

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Release Date

May 15, 1981

Director

Hugh Hudson

Cast

Nicholas Farrell , Nigel Havers , Ian Charleson , Ben Cross , Daniel Gerroll , Ian Holm

Runtime

123 minutes

22 'Foxcatcher' (2014)

Directed by Bennett Miller

Foxcatcher is a grim movie, so isn't one that's easy to recommend for those who prefer their sports movies uplifting. It sees actors like Channing Tatum and Steve Carell taking on perhaps the most serious roles of their respective careers up until that point, with Foxcatcher as a whole being just as much a dark crime film as it is a sports movie.

It's based on real-life events that happened in the lead-up to the 1988 Olympics, with the titular wrestling team - a pair of brothers - getting sponsored by the incredibly wealthy John E. du Pont. Foxcatcher takes a grimly psychological look at the respective mindsets of its main characters, with tension building up considerably, regardless of whether you know what will actually happen by the end. It's remarkably heavy, but impressive from an acting perspective while working as an unsettling slow burn.

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21 'The Natural' (1984)

Directed by Barry Levinson

Baseball is sometimes held up as America's pastime, and Robert Redford has long been one of the nation's most beloved actors, so Redford starring in a movie about baseball seems like a match made in heaven. You could even say that such a pairing feels completely... natural.

In 1984, a peanut butter and jelly match-up did indeed occur, as Robert Redford starred in – though he didn't direct – The Natural. It's about a mysterious baseball player emerging from seemingly out of nowhere during the 1930s, and helping a struggling team achieve the kind of victories it never thought possible before. It's all very nicely shot and, despite being somewhat slow, is ultimately moving. Also, it benefits from not only having Redford in its cast, but also the likes of Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, and Kim Basinger, to name a few.

The Natural

PG

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Release Date

May 11, 1984

Director

Barry Levinson

Cast

Robert Redford , Glenn Close , Kim Basinger , wilford brimley , Barbara Hershey , Robert Prosky

Runtime

134

20 'Field of Dreams' (1989)

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson

If anything, Field of Dreams might be more of a mildly fantastical yet uplifting family drama first, and a sports movie second. Like The Natural, the sport being depicted here is baseball, though the focus is on a farmer and father, played by Kevin Costner, and what happens when he begins hearing otherworldly voices. That might sound like the set-up for some kind of supernatural thriller/horror movie, but Field of Dreams thankfully takes a more wholesome route tonally.

What the protagonist hears compels him to construct a baseball diamond in his cornfield, with this eventually leading to the ghosts of long-dead baseball players showing up to play there. Field of Dreams uses this unusual premise to tell what ends up being a heartfelt and moving story, and it's become a sentimental and widely beloved classic of the late 1980s for good reason.

Field of Dreams

PG

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See Also

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Beats ‘Joker’ As Top R-Rated Movie Of All Time [Updated]

Release Date

April 21, 1989

Director

Phil Alden Robinson

Cast

Kevin Costner , Amy Madigan , Gaby Hoffmann , Ray Liotta , Timothy Busfield , James Earl Jones

Runtime

107

19 'White Men Can't Jump' (1992)

Directed by Ron Shelton

Rather than tackling basketball on a nationwide scale, White Men Can't Jump instead focuses on Los Angeles, with the variation of the sport here sometimes being called streetball. The two main characters - played by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson - are both hustlers who get by with an uneasy alliance that seems them making money by alternating between throwing certain games and trying in others.

Regardless of how you feel about basketball of any variation, White Men Can't Jump is a movie that succeeds thanks to the chemistry of Snipes and Harrelson alone, with both making this comedic sports movie a good deal of fun. It's a film that undeniably screams 1990s with its overall feel and aesthetics, but that can also make it charming, perhaps in a way that its 2023 remake inevitably couldn't be.

White Men Can't Jump

R

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Release Date

March 26, 1992

Director

Ron Shelton

Cast

Wesley Snipes , Woody Harrelson , Rosie Perez , Tyra Ferrell , Cylk Cozart , Kadeem Hardison

Runtime

115

18 'Friday Night Lights' (2004)

Directed by Peter Berg

While the television drama series of the same name might be more well known nowadays, 2004's Friday Night Lights came first and walked so the later show could run. It looks at high school football and how dedicated one small town in Texas gets when it comes to the sport, leading to some serious stakes when one of the most necessary players for the team in question gets injured.

Just like the central teams in many sports movies, this makes the team at the heart of Friday Night Lights underdogs, with their coach – played by Billy Bob Thornton – being the one person who might be able to save the day and inspire all those who need inspiration. From there, it's sports movie 101, but it's a well-oiled machine of a film and it more than gets the job done. In hindsight, the fact it helped birth an acclaimed TV series ultimately ends up being icing on the cake.

Friday Night Lights

PG-13

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Release Date

October 8, 2004

Director

Peter Berg , Josh Pate

Cast

Billy Bob Thornton , Lucas Black , Garrett Hedlund , Derek Luke , Jay Hernandez , Lee Jackson

Runtime

117

17 'Hoosiers' (1986)

Directed by David Anspaugh

Gene Hackman's one of those all-time great actors who never turned in a half-hearted performance, and he shines in Hoosiers' lead role. It's a sports movie revolving around basketball set in the 1950s, and Hackman's character is the coach that a struggling team might need if they're to ever have any chance of achieving success, even if some of his methods prove divisive and arguably even extreme.

Hoosiers is also notable for having one of Dennis Hopper's most acclaimed performances; in fact, the only one that got him an Oscar nomination. In the film, he plays the alcoholic father of one of the central team's young basketball players, and eventually becomes an assistant coach to Hackman's character. For the acting prowess on display, and for its generally engaging storyline that hits some familiar beats well, Hoosiers works very well as a sports movie overall.

Hoosiers

PG

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Release Date

November 14, 1986

Director

David Anspaugh

Cast

Gene Hackman , Barbara Hershey , Dennis Hopper , Sheb Wooley , Fern Persons , Chelcie Ross

Runtime

114 minutes

16 'A League of Their Own' (1992)

Directed by Penny Marshall

Of all the 1990s sports movies, few are quite as beloved as A League of Their Own, which holds up tremendously well as a funny and moving film inspired by an interesting real-life story. The central premise of the film revolves around the fact that during World War II, various male baseball players were drafted and sent off to fight, leading to various female players who all had potential as players to be drafted into the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

This was a real league that ran from 1943 to 1954, with A League of Their Own being a fictionalized account of how this unique league in history got up and running, while also touching upon the bittersweet way it eventually came to an end. It's not particularly intense or even focused on the sports scenes themselves, instead using this premise as a way to tell a touching story with strong characters, all brought to life by an impressive cast that includes the likes of Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna.

A League of Their Own

PG

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Release Date

July 1, 1992

Director

Penny Marshall

Cast

Tom Hanks , Geena Davis , Madonna , Lori Petty , jon lovitz , David Strathairn

Runtime

128 minutes

15 'The Karate Kid' (1984)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

It's hard to know what to say about The Karate Kid that's not already been said, because it's just one of those timeless and essential family classics that everyone is at least familiar with by now. It was a great movie released in a particularly great year for cinema, and tells a timeless story about one down-on-his-luck teenager who gets bullied, and then is lucky enough to find a mentor who teaches him the answers to all his problems in life: karate.

That's simplifying it a bit. It's not all about violence being used to solve one's problems, but things do inevitably come down to a karate tournament where the main character, Daniel, has a chance to prove himself and best his bully within the confines of a martial arts competition. The Karate Kid offers no surprises narratively, but it probably wouldn't work very well or be nearly as endearing if it did, with such an approach being crowd-pleasing in the best way possible.

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14 'Caddyshack' (1980)

Directed by Harold Ramis

Caddyshack is an essential comedy of the 1980s, and does feel like it focuses much more on being funny than it does on being some sort of traditional sports movie. That approach works here, though, because the sort of anarchic tone Caddyshack sticks with over the course of its 98 minutes does make it a good deal of fun, with things predominantly building to a golf tournament at an exclusive country club.

Things like that don't feel too important when much of the film instead chooses to focus on Bill Murray's character, a groundskeeper for the golf course, battling a mischievous and destructive gopher. Caddyshack is entirely of its time and therefore might not be hugely appealing for all modern-day viewers yet the movie undoubtedly has its fans and also can be charming in a way, so long as you don't mind some of the cruder comedic trends of its time.

Caddyshack

R

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Release Date

July 25, 1980

Director

Harold Ramis

Cast

Chevy Chase , Rodney Dangerfield , Ted Knight , Michael O'Keefe , Bill Murray , Sarah Holcomb

Runtime

98

13 'Warrior' (2011)

Directed by Gavin O'Connor

An under-appreciated sports movie that may one day be heralded as a classic, the rather generically named Warrior is a tremendously emotional film about mixed martial arts. It stands out thanks to the fact that the two main characters are estranged brothers, with things eventually leading to them having to fight each other within a tournament, all while their troubled, alcoholic father coaches one, but not the other.

Beyond the moving and even quite suspenseful/stressful story, Warrior also boasts some great performances from its leads, including Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and an Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte. It pushes familiar tropes into new areas and with even more gusto than most sports movies out there, going above and beyond the competition. It's appropriately ferocious for a movie about fighting, in that way, and one of the best sports films in recent years.

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12 'Breaking Away' (1979)

Directed by Peter Yates

Exploring a coming-of-age story within the confines of a sports film isn't something exclusively done in Breaking Away by any means, but few comparable films have done so quite this well. It does all this while also balancing the expected dramatic elements with a little comedy for good measure, and even doing so while presenting a sport that isn't usually depicted in sports movies: cycling.

It's a movie about discovering what one wants to do with the rest of their life, as well as enjoying those precious few days between graduating from high school and bidding friends farewell as college starts. In that way, it succeeds as a coming-of-age film the same way something similarly bittersweet like George Lucas' American Graffiti also does. Breaking Away feels a little underrated overall, and is certainly worth checking out for anyone who's yet to see it.

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11 'Moneyball' (2011)

Directed by Bennett Miller

Several years before Foxcatcher, director Bennett Miller made another somewhat unconventional sports film with Moneyball. This one's also biographical, but certainly isn't as grim as Foxcatcher, instead telling a story about how a man named Billy Beane used rather radical computer-generated analysis to work out how to best assemble a baseball team back in the 2000s, with the process being cost-effective and successful.

This approach does mean those wanting lots of baseball action could come away from Moneyball feeling a tad disappointed, but the behind-the-scenes look at this aspect of the game is undoubtedly interesting. It also helps that Brad Pitt's in the leading role here, the supporting cast includes the likes of Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Wright, and the screenplay was credited to two Oscar-winning writers: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin.

Moneyball

PG-13

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Release Date

September 23, 2011

Director

Bennett Miller

Cast

Brad Pitt , Jonah Hill , Philip Seymour Hoffman , Robin Wright , Stephen Bishop , Chris Pratt

Runtime

133 minutes