From underdog triumphs to bitter rivalries and multi-million dollar deals, some sports movies ring too good to be true. But the ones listed here are all based on real-life events, proving that fact can be more enthralling than fiction.
Sports biopics often juggle the need to balance the biopic with the sport, but when a film strikes the perfect balance, audiences are left with a feel-good, rejuvenated outlook on life beyond the field, court, ring. On the other hand, some of these films dig into the darker side that the glitz and glam of fame can draw out of athletes, leaving them and their loved ones in the wake of their destruction. Take Tonya Harding or Jake LaMotta, for example. Or even from the behind-the-scenes of sports like the managers seen in Moneyball or the CEOs depicted in Air. The athletic industry and the narrative film industry don’t often come together, but when they do, you can bet it’ll be a film for everyone.
From a rag-tag cross country team to a woman who swam the length of the sea, here are the best sports biopics for athletes and cinephiles alike, ranked.