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While sports movies often rely on familiar tropes and predictable storylines (a trait shared by many genres), they also radiate optimism and inspiration, highlighting how sports can help individuals conquer challenges and reach their dreams. A few have even earned the prestigious Academy Award for Best Picture, including Million Dollar Baby (2004), Rocky (1976), and Chariots of Fire (1981).
Sports films serve as a powerful medium to celebrate resilience and the human spirit, though some stand out more than others. Rotten Tomatoes recently curated a list of the greatest sports movies ever made, based on reviews and factors like release year. According to their rankings, the top spot goes to I, Tonya (2017), featuring Margot Robbie as the infamous figure skater Tonya Harding. If you're organizing a movie marathon, there are numerous other excellent options to explore.
Every film in the top 30 boasts a Tomatometer score of 80 percent or higher, earning them the “Certified Fresh” seal of approval from both critics and viewers. Among them, a few achieved a flawless 100 percent rating, such as The Endless Summer (1966), Changing the Game (2019), Next Goal Wins (2014), and Racing Dream (2009). Interestingly, these four are sports documentaries (with 12 docs in total making the top 30, alongside narrative films). The lowest-rated film in the list, 2018’s Creed II, still holds a solid 83 percent rating.
Below is a curated list of 30 top-rated sports films, as ranked by the site:
- I, Tonya (2017) // 90 percent
- Ford v Ferrari (2019) // 92 percent
- Creed (2015) // 95 percent
- Raging Bull (1980) // 92 percent
- The Wrestler (2008) // 99 percent
- National Velvet (1944) // 98 percent
- Fighting with My Family (2019) // 93 percent
- Free Solo (2018) // 97 percent
- Moneyball (2011) // 94 percent
- Maiden (2018) // 98 percent
- Bull Durham (1988) // 97 percent
- Murderball (2005) // 98 percent
- Rocky (1976) // 93 percent
- Hoop Dreams (1994) // 98 percent
- The Endless Summer (1966) // 100 percent
- Win Win (2011) // 95 percent
- Horse Feathers (1932) // 97 percent
- The Fighter (2010) // 91 percent
- Changing the Game (2019) // 100 percent
- When We Were Kings (1996) // 98 percent
- Bad News Bears (1976) // 97 percent
- Next Goal Wins (2014) // 100 percent
- The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) // 97 percent
- Creed II (2018) // 83 percent
- Racing Dream (2009) // 100 percent
- Foxcatcher (2014) // 88 percent
- The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (2016) // 98 percent
- The Hustler (1961) // 94 percent
- The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999) // 97 percent
- Undefeated (2011) // 96 percent
Boxing dominates the list with seven films, making it the most represented sport, followed by baseball and wrestling, each with four entries. Other sports like basketball and auto racing also make notable appearances.
Some lesser-known sports featured include wheelchair rugby in the 2005 documentary Murderball, rock climbing in Free Solo (2018), and retro gaming in The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007). If you're still craving more sports films after these, consider exploring these fantastic movies about the Olympics.
