The world of movies is such a vast expanse in the modern day, that it’s often hard to settle on a film to watch with loved ones or, to settle down in front of all alone on one night curled up on the sofa, or tucked up in bed.
For those who love sport, finding a great flick to enjoy is perhaps harder than for any other genre. There’s an art form to getting it right, so you can often be left sifting through a lot of rubbish before finding the sporting gems of the big screen. Fortunately, that’s where reviews aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes has stepped in!
Sorted by an adjusted score, which weighs both their rating with critics and the number of professional reviews assigned to each film, we've taken a look at the top sports and fitness movies that any fanatic should get to watching ASAP!
7. The Fighter (2010) – 91%, 254 reviews
This biographical drama is directed by David O. Russell and sees Mark Wahlberg step into the role of professional boxer Micky Ward, starring alongside Christian Bale as the boxer's older half-brother, Dicky Eklund.
Though the movie did play loose with the truth at times, such as showing Ward on a losing streak coming into the 1988 fight he shared with Mike Mungin when in reality he was on a four-fight winning streak, it was the performances of The Fighter's lead cast that had the critics going wild.
Wahlberg in particular was served with lashings of praise due to his accent and mannerisms throughout the feature, as well as the weight he had put on to fully embody the real-life boxer he was portraying.
6. Undefeated (2011) – 96%, 102 reviews
Directed by Daniel Lindsay and T. J. Martin, this documentary follows the struggles of a high school football team, who do their all to find success after years of losses upon losses.
Many familiar stories have been told on the high school gridiron, but this film completely blows them out of the water. Audiences are captivated as they watch the Manassas Tigers of Memphis go from zeroes to heroes, thanks to the hard work of coach Bill Courtney who turns a group of young men into both academic and athletic stars.
Having won an Oscar in February 2012 for Best Documentary Feature, this is one movie that is certainly worth your time.
5. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) - 97%, 102 reviews
Competitive arcade gaming isn't something we really hear a lot about nowadays, but for those who are interested in the sport, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a compelling must-see documentary.
Restaurateur Billy Mitchell holds the high score for the original 1981 release of Donkey Kong, but out-of-work engineer Steve Wiebe has purchased his own cabinet for the game, in the hopes of beating that score and achieving a world record. It's something he achieves from 2003 onwards, having used mathematical knowledge to identify exploitable patterns in the game, before he sets a new record of 1,006,600 - the first-ever score to go over a million.
The rivalry between Wiebe and Mitchell only heats up and, whilst there is scepticism about authenticity of some of the submissions made, changes see the title swap hands once more. Not exactly a true crime doc, but just as thrilling.
4. When We Were Kings (1996) - 98%, 49 reviews
Another documentary film here, this time focusing on the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight championship boxing match held in October 1974, between world heavyweight champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.
When We Were Kings took director Leon Gast a whopping 22 years to edit and finance; it's clearly a passion project and that was reflected in the high-quality film he put together, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 1996.
Featuring interviews with the likes of Norman Mailer, George Plimpton and Thomas Hauser, any boxing fanatic is going to want to check this out if they haven't already. One that will stick with you; and has a brilliant soundtrack to boot.
3. Hoop Dreams (1994) - 98%, 60 reviews
Directed by Steve James, Hoop Dreams follows the story of two African-American high school students who have dreams of becoming professional basketball players.
William Gates and Arthur Agee live in Chicago and, when they're recruited by a scout from St. Joseph High School in Illinois, the future looks bright. Of course, life isn't as easy as that, with both personal and professional challenges being thrown in the way of the pair as they navigate their individual paths.
A story of true grit and determination that will undoubtedly be watched for generations to come.
2. Athlete A (2020) - 100%, 57 reviews
A team of investigative journalists from The Indianapolis Star broke the story of doctor Larry Nassar sexually assaulting young female gymnasts and in this Netflix documentary, they are given another chance to shine a spotlight on not only his crimes, but the allegations levelled against USA Gymnastics and its then-CEO, Steve Penny.
This true crime documentary is harrowing, but a must-see for anybody who has interest in the world of American sport and, especially that of gymnastics.
Sadly, we see that the titular 'Athlete A', Maggie Nichols, was left off the 2016 USA gymnastics Olympics team, which the film implies was due to her role in coming forward against Nassar. Fortunately, we do see her love of the sport brought back, as she competes in NCAA gymnastics.
1. Murderball (2005) - 98%, 141 reviews
Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro co-direct this awe-inspiring documentary film about physically disabled athletes who play wheelchair rugby.
A fierce rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams has heated up ahead of the 2004 Paralympic Games and it's that which forms the focus of this movie. Of course, there are moments of real humanity that stick you right in the gut, and those are exactly why this feature is a must-watch.
Sometimes, reality is better than any scripted movie. That’s what Murderball proves.
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Tagged in Boxing Sports Paralympic Games