Sports-Based Movies To Watch

Sports movies have been made ever since the ‘silent films’ era. These movies are usually based on an individual or sports team’s triumph in a particular sport. Apart from entertainment, it helps to motivate the audience to achieve greater things in life.

Let us take a look at some of the best sports-based movies to watch.

Moneyball – (2011)

Moneyball is a sports movie based on a baseball team Oakland Athletics’ 2002 season as they look to build a competitive team following their limited budget. The movie was directed by Bennett Miller. Moneyball was released on 23 September 2011 and saw immense success at the box office.

The teams were not so focused on statistics and they would give big money to players with the more glamorous skills, who hit a lot of home runs, had a good batting average, ran fast, and looked athletic. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill play the lead roles in the movie and both the actors were nominated for Oscars for their performance in the movie.

Goal – (2005)

Goal is a football-based movie that revolves around the career of Mexican footballer Santiago Munez, living in Los Angeles. The movie is directed by Danny Cannon and was made in partnership with FIFA. Adidas was one of the contributors to the movie.

Goal was released across Britain on 1 October 2005. Despite underperforming at the box office, the movie is regarded as one of the best sports movies for its sports sequences. Goal also increased the popularity of PL club Newcastle United as the team is directly featured in the movie.

Wrestler – (2008)

Wrestler is an American movie directed by Darren Aronofsky. The movie is based on a wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson who was one of the best wrestlers in the 1980s. Now that his glory days are past, “The Ram” participates in promotional events on the weekends.

The movie was a box office hit with numerous awards. Mickey Rourke, who played the lead career, received an Oscar nomination apart from winning a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Independent Spirit Award.

Ford v Ferrari – (2009)

Ford v Ferrari was directed by James Mangold. The movie is about a team of engineers who get hired by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca to build a race car that is capable of beating Scuderia Ferrari at an event in France.

Ford v Ferrari premiered on 30 August worldwide and received great applause from the fans. The National Board of Review honored the movie by putting it on the list of ten best movies of the year. Christian Bale, who plays one of the lead roles in the film was nominated for Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.

Chak de India – (2007)

Chak de India was directed by Shimit Amin. The movie is about the journey of Kabir Singh (played by Shah Rukh Khan) from losing to Pakistan in the Hockey World Cup final to winning the Women’s Hockey World Cup as the coach of the Indian Women’s National Team.

Chak de India was released on 10 August 2007 and became the third-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2007. The movie won a number of awards and is still considered the best sports movie of Bollywood.

Hoop Dreams – (1994)

Hoop Dreams is directed by Steve James. The movie revolves around two African-origin students studying in America, who want to become professional basketball players. The movie earned approximately $11 million worldwide and was a box office hit.

Hoop Dreams won eight prestigious awards within one year of its release. The film is also registered in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Rocky – (1976)

Rocky is the story of a young part-time fighter who gets a surprise World Championship title fight. Directed by John G. Avildsen in 1976, Rocky earned $5,488 on its opening day which was a record during the time.

Rocky hit the screens on November 20, 1976, and earned a record $225 million approximately worldwide. It won three Academy Awards and is regarded by many as the best sports movie of all time.

King Richard – (2021)

King Richard is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and premiered on September 2, 2021. The movie is about Richard Williams, the father of Serena Williams and Venus Williams, and his aspirations to turn them into professional tennis players. Will Smith played the lead role in the movie.

King Richard made approximately $39.4 million in its initial days and won a combined 28 awards including Best Actor for Smith.

The Iron Claw – (2023)

The Iron Claw is directed by Sean Durkin and was released on December 22, 2023 (United States). It is a movie about a pro wrestling family ‘The Von Erichs’. The film revolves around the owners of a wrestling company who fail to replicate their father’s success. The movie earned approximately $45.2 million at the box office.

The lead star of the film, Zac Efron who played the role of Kevin Von Erich, received huge acclaim and is regarded as his best movie acting to date. The Iron Claw was named as one of the top 10 movies of 2023.

Bend It Like Beckham – (2003)

Bend It Like Beckham is a movie about two sisters who want to play football but keep getting hindered by their families. The movie was directed by Gurinder Chadha and released on 12 April 2002. Bend It Like Beckham grossed $76.6 million approximately at the box office.

The movie won five major awards including Best Comedy Film of 2002. It was also the first Western movie to be aired in North Korea.

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