There are many obstacles that prevent chess movies from being entertaining. For one thing, chess is a very niche game. Yes, it is popular and widely known the world over, but very few people actually "get into it" (at least compared to far more popular games/sports like football and baseball).
Secondly, filming a chess match and making it entertaining for the audience (especially an audience who may be totally ignorant of how chess works) proves a monumental challenge that few are willing to tackle. Luckily, Netflix has popularized the game with The Queen's Gambit. Double luckily (and despite the aforementioned challenges), there are actually a lot of great chess movies out there.
The Coldest Game (2019) - 6.1
The Coldest Game is actually a Polish film, directed by Łukasz Kośmicki. With that said, the movie is in English and stars worldwide star Bill Pullman in the leading role.
The Coldest Game blends a spy thriller with a sports movie, as it follows a former chess champion and current alcoholic named Joshua Mansky who is sent to Poland to play against the current Soviet champion. The movie is set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis and draws many parallels between chess and the Cold War.
Critical Thinking (2020) - 6.4
Critical Thinking was one of the many movies to be affected by the COVID pandemic, as it was scheduled to premiere at SXSW in March. John Leguizamo makes his directorial debut and stars as Mr. Martinez, a high school teacher devoted to his students and their pursuit of chess.
The movie is based on the real story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team. Coming from a poor urban environment, the team defied the odds and won the U.S. National Chess Championship, making them the first inner-city high school chess team to do so.
Pawn Sacrifice (2014) - 7.0
Starring Tobey Maguire, Pawn Sacrifice is another chess movie rooted in reality. This one follows chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer. Fischer was widely regarded as a chess prodigy, becoming a grandmaster at just 15 years old.
Pawn Sacrifice follows Fischer's life and career and culminates in the historic Match of the Century - AKA the 1972 World Chess Championship. It was here that Fischer defeated Boris Spassky, ending the Soviets' 24-year reign and becoming the second American (but the firstborn in the U.S.) to win the world championship.
Magnus (2016) - 7.1
Move over Bobby Fischer. Magnus is a documentary movie that follows the life of Magnus Carlsen. Widely known as one of the best chess players of all time, Carlsen is the current World Champion. Like Fischer, Carlsen was also a chess prodigy, becoming a grandmaster at just 13 years old.
The documentary combines archival footage, current interviews, and Carlsen's home movies to tell the story of his early life and his rise to chess stardom. It's essential viewing for anyone with even a remote interest in the sport.
Brooklyn Castle (2012) - 7.2
Premiering at SXSW in 2012, Brooklyn Castle is another documentary film concerning an amazing chess story. And, like Critical Thinking, it concerns an inner-city school. Brooklyn Castle follows the students of Intermediate School 318, an inner-city junior high school located in Brooklyn.
The school's chess team has enjoyed many accolades and tournament wins throughout the years despite major budget cuts. It proves the values of determination, supportive guardians, and intelligence.
Queen Of Katwe (2016) - 7.4
Queen of Katwe is yet another movie based on an inspiring true story. Based on an ESPN article of the same name, Queen of Katwe follows the life and rise of Ugandan chess player Phiona Mutesi. Mutesi was raised in a very poor Ugandan slum called Katwe.
Despite her unfortunate position, Mutesi rose through the chess ranks and became the Ugandan representative at numerous Women's Chess Olympiads. Her victories eventually earned her a position as Woman Candidate Master.
Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993) - 7.4
Despite the title, Searching for Bobby Fischer does not follow Bobby Fischer. Rather, it concerns another chess prodigy by the name of Joshua Waitzkin. The movie is based on a book written by Waitzkin's father and concerns his early life and steady rise through the chess community.
Waitzkin was U.S. Junior Chess champion in both 1993 and 1994, and he became an International Master at just 16. The movie is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a prodigy.
Fresh (1994) - 7.6
Fresh isn't necessarily a chess movie, but it contains a lot of it. Fresh is an urban crime drama that follows a 12-year-old drug dealer named Fresh living through New York City's crack epidemic.
The movie contains numerous scenes of chess, as the boy befriends an alcoholic speed chess player by the name of Sam. Sam is wonderfully played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad fame stars as the gangster and Fresh's criminal boss, Esteban.
Geri's Game (1997) - 7.9
One can always expect cinematic magic with Pixar. Written and directed by Jan Pinkava, Geri's Game is an animated short that follows a lonely old man playing chess by himself. Running at just five minutes, the short movie is nevertheless extraordinary thanks to Pixar's numerous talents, including music and animation.
It took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and was eventually shown at the beginning of A Bug's Life. Those who love Pixar's tradition of opening with unrelated short movies have Geri's Game to thank.
The Seventh Seal (1957) - 8.2
Another sort-of chess movie, The Seventh Seal takes place during the Black Death and concerns a man playing a game of chess against Death. Starring Max von Sydow as Antonius Block and Bengt Ekerot as Death, the movie has received wide praise thanks to the assured and incredible direction of Ingmar Bergman.
It's one of the all-time great movies and is widely regarded for its symbolism and imagery. It doesn't really concern the game of chess, but it's a fascinating movie that uses the game to tell a compelling and Biblical story.