The movie industry is full of distinctive genres and themes with sports movies being among the most popular ones. From Rocky and Raging Bull all the way to Creed 2 and I, Tonya, this genre is full of compelling pieces. Here are the top 10 sports movies that you should watch:
Rocky (1976)
The first movie in this list has to be Rocky because if not this movie, this whole genre would probably go unnoticed. Starring Sylvester Stallone as the main character of Rocky Balboa, this movie is about how an unknown underdog managed to take a challenge and fight against the world champion. The movie revolves around Rocky’s insignificant life as a wanna-be boxer. He struggles in his life both personally and financially. However, there’s a current world champion Apollo Creed who desperately needs to have an exhibition match to maintain his title. And Rocky turns out to be his best choice. But the Italian Stallion proves him very wrong!
Raging Bull (1980)
Martin Scorsese is famous for his contempt for sports and thus, making a movie about boxing is somewhat strange from him. However, there’s more to Raging Bull than just boxing and that’s what Robert De Niro, the actor playing Jake LaMotta, had to explain to Scorsese. Technically, Raging Bull is a movie revolving about a boxer and his career, however, any considerate viewer can quickly identify the underlying themes of violence, women abuse, pain, etc. The boxing scenes are quite unconventional in this sense, being the movie was made by sports-hater but every boxer can relate to the same feelings of anger, rage, and brutality.
Two for the Money (2005)
Brandon Lang, starring Matthew McConaughey, is a professional football player that has everything in his life. However, one injury in his knee bans him from his beloved sport for good. But since he has incredible insight into this sport, he becomes a talented predictor of game outcomes which then is used by the betting odds sites and land-based establishments. At some point, Brandon is invited by Walter Abrams (Al Pacino) to work for him in his gambling business. The movie then revolves around the personal machinations and schemes, love triangles and whatnot. Eventually, Brandon discovers that he’s not in the happiest nor the most honest place in the world.
The Fighter (2010)
The Fighter is a comeback of David O. Russel after almost six years of silence. In this movie, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is trying to make something out of his boxing career. Being in this struggle, his brother Dicky (Christian Bale) comes out of prison and starts to take things under his control. The Fighter revolves around this messy family and their relationship. It shows that close relations aren’t always binary with only good or bad connections. Dicky is a serious drag and barrier for Micky, however, eventually, he proves to be crucial to Micky’s development as a boxer.
Rush (2013)
The world of Formula 1 racing is nothing without its two legendary stars, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Their rivalry extended over their times and remained as a compelling story of envy, competition, adrenaline, and so much more. Rush stars Daniel Brühl as Lauda and Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and they do a wonderful job of portraying their rivalry. And Ron Howard’s picture is exceptional because despite the two racers being total jerks, there’s something deep beneath their rivalry that transcends this petty competition.
Moneyball (2011)
One of the best movies that Brad Pitt has ever starred in, even though his role as Billie Bean shows the actor in his unusual form with no showy muscles or particular love relationships. And, to be fair, Moneyball isn’t exactly about baseball as a sport but about how it can be managed more skillfully. In Moneyball, you’re going to experience stress, responsibility, parental distress, the pressure of living up to your potential - all of those themes are making Moneyball one of the best sports movies ever made!
Creed (2015)
While Creed isn’t exactly on par with Rocky, this continuation of the Rocky franchise still deserves recognition since it revisits the old themes of the original anthology and introduces modern quirks as well. Creed revolves around Apollo Creed’s illegal son, Adonis, who was raised as an orphan until Apollo’s wife adopted him. What’s particularly emotional about this movie is that Rocky Balboa makes a significant comeback as Adonis’ manager. And we see this duo conquering some heights as well. You’re definitely going to love this one if you’re a Rocky fan.
Warrior (2011)
Brotherhood can be sketchy and even violent sometimes. The rivalry between the two siblings will get unimaginable forms and this is perfectly represented in Gavin O’Connor’s picture Warrior. The two brothers, Brendan (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (Tom Hardy), have the same passion for mixed martial arts. However, Brendan, being the elder one, has a more down-to-earth life as a school teacher and a family man. On the other hand, Tommy is a lost soul who’s a former marine and now, he’s trying to deal with his haunted past by beating the hell out of his opponents. The two brothers are eventually brought together on the same ring and their fight - both physical and moral - is well-worth watching. You’re going to burst into tears during and after watching this movie.
Ali (2001)
Muhammad Ali is considered the biggest boxing star in the world. However, making a film about him was a doubtful decision that Michael Mann was willing to make. People were not sure whether this biopic was even necessary since there had already been many films and documentaries about the boxer. However, Ali and Will Smith proved everyone wrong. This movie is just as much about boxing as it is about politics and manipulations. And even though there are some minor imperfections in Smith’s portrayal of Ali, you have to know that this figure of the boxer was staged as well and even Muhammad Ali was trying to portray Ali himself.
Cinderella Man (2005)
This is the second movie in this list shot by Ron Howard and boy, what an emotional movie! Cinderella Man takes place during the Great Depression where everyone was having a hard time feeding themselves and their families. Russel Crowe portrays a former boxer, Jim Braddock who’s in a deep financial crisis after he lost all of his possessions after the market crash. He’s got a wife and three children to provide for, that’s why he returns to his boxing career and takes several major blows both literally and figuratively. Just like Warrior, Cinderella Man is also a real tear-jerker.