The 10 best sports movies of all time

In our selection, we’ve gathered the top ten best sports dramas, many of which are based on true events. Don’t forget to save the link and be sure to watch something from this list. We guarantee a charge of motivation!

“♪ Playing By Other People’s Rules (USA, 2006) ♪

Based on a true story: yes.

Interesting fact: the picture at the end of the movie shows real athletes of the Texas Western team of 1965-66 season, not actors.

What the movie is about: the story of Texas Western college basketball coach Don Haskins. In 1966, Haskins assembled a groundbreaking team, recruiting exclusively black players to the main roster, and led the team to a championship victory.

“Hooligans” (USA, UK 2004).

Based on a true story: no.

Interesting fact: the creators of the movie were allowed to shoot at the stadium of “West Ham”, because the club management believed that the picture would be about soccer. When after filming they found out that the movie will be about soccer hooligans, they tried to get rid of the project as quickly as possible.

What the movie is about: journalism student Matt Buckner is expelled from Harvard for a crime he did not commit. In search of a new haven, the young man escapes to London to his sister Shannon. It is in London, Matt discovers the multifaceted world of soccer. In the near-football party he finds new friends, big trouble and finds himself in the company of crazy fans who are ready for absolutely everything for the sake of their favorite club.

“Hurricane” (USA, 1999)

Based on a true story: yes.

Interesting fact: world champion Joey Giardello, who in the movie the judges gave the victory over Carter, in real life won the fight without controversy. Therefore, immediately after the release of The Hurricane, he sued the movie company and was compensated.

What the movie is about: the story of the life of boxer Rubin Carter, who claimed the middleweight title, but after being the victim of a false accusation of murder, ended up behind bars.

“Warrior” (USA, 2011)

Based on real events: no.

Interesting fact: for the role Tom Hardy gained 12 kg of muscle mass.

What the movie is about: a strong sports drama, the story of overcoming a young fighter Tommy Conlon, who set himself an ambitious goal: to prepare to participate in a big tournament. Coaching his son before the decisive fight takes his drunkard father, formerly a talented boxer.

“The Race” (UK, Germany, 2013)

Based on a true story: yes.

Interesting fact: Especially for the filming of the movie, Historic Formula One managed to assemble a starting field of 24 original cars from 1976, having persuaded their owners to cooperate with the film crew.

What the movie is about: 70s of XX century. The golden age of Formula One. Two irreconcilable rivals in the history of racing – charming Englishman James Hunt and disciplined Austrian Niki Lauda – push themselves to the limit of physical and psychological endurance. A dramatic story and a major race in a career whose outcome may come at too high a price.

“Senna” (UK, France, 2010).

Based on true events: yes.

Interesting fact: the documentary includes footage from the racer’s family’s home archive.

What the movie is about: a documentary about one of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1, the great sportsman Ayrton Senna. And that’s probably the most important thing to know to set the mood for watching this movie.

“Class of ’92” (UK, 2013)

Based on a true story: yes.

What the movie is about: the story-legend of the journey to worldwide fame of six young Manchester United footballers: David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Phil and Gary Neville. The movie covers seven years of their careers starting in 1992 when the team won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 30 years.

“Touching the Void” (UK, USA 2003).

Based on a true story: yes.

Interesting fact: footage of the climb with the cast to restore archival footage was filmed in the Alps.

What the movieis about: this film is an adaptation of the best-selling book by the famous mountaineer Joe Simpson, based on one of the most incredible stories of his life.

The book describes the ascent of Simpson and his friend Simon Yates to one of the peaks of the Peruvian Andes in 1985 (height of about 7000 meters). In the struggle for survival, the young men are forced to make difficult decisions on a minute-by-minute basis. Simpson and Yates return to the scene together to tell their story in front of the camera lens.

“Legend #17” (Russia, 2012)

Based on a true story: yes.

Interesting fact: Valery Kharlamov’s relatives played small roles in the movie: his son Alexander (himself a professional hockey player) played a hockey player of “Zvezda”, and his sister Tatiana Borisovna had a cameo as a janitor in “Luzhniki”.

What the movie is about: September 2, 1972. Montreal. The USSR hockey team defeated Canadian professionals from the NHL in the opening match of the epochal USSR-Canada Super Series with a crushing score of 7:3. It wasn’t just a game, it was a battle for their country that turned the world’s perception of hockey upside down.

Now the whole world knew it simply by the number 17. Valeri Kharlamov, who scored 2 pucks in that game, instantly soared to the pinnacle of fame. His dream came true – perseverance, athletic talent and harsh lessons from the great coach Anatoly Tarasov made “number 17” a legend of world hockey.

“Moving Up” (Russia, 2018).

Based on real events: yes.

Interesting fact: the consultants of the project were the participant of the golden match Ivan Yedeshko, as well as the son of Sergei Belov, Alexander, who played a small role (USSR national team player Gennady Volnov) and was the director of game basketball scenes in the movie.

What the movie is about: there are victories that change the course of history. Victories of the spirit, victories of the country, victories of the whole world. Such a triumph was the legendary “three seconds” – the victory of the USSR basketball team at the fateful Munich Olympics. For the first time in 36 years, the “invincible” US team was defeated. No one could even imagine that it was possible to beat the magnificent, infallible Americans at the Olympics! No one but Soviet basketball players (Russians and Georgians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs, Belarusians and Lithuanians).

What movie would you add to our selection?