Sports movies have always been popular, as this year alone has seen the release of Hustle, Home Team, Rise, and the next major release will be Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins. The movie stars Elizabeth Moss and Michael Fassbender, and it follows the American Samoa soccer team who qualified for the 2014 World Cup against all odds. With Waititi at the helm, it could be an award contender, and it even has the potential to become one of the best sports movies ever.
Though Redditors are a hard group to please, they've been quick to throw so many movies out there when debating the best sports films ever, and some of them are astounding. Between an epic feud between Formula 1 racers, a hilarious Jamaican bobsled team, and not one but two Adam Sandler movies, users have some interesting choices.
White Men Can't Jump (1992)
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White Men Can't Jump was one of the first sports movies that were cool and stylish, and it had anyone who saw it picking up a basketball, regardless of what color or how tall they were. Tinoynk puts it best, noting, "It’s hilarious, cathartic, believable, relatable, has amazing performances, and the sports action is pretty solid and realistic."
Not only are the actual basketball scenes so frenetic, but the characters' circumstances are so realistic, especially given that it isn't about a rookie becoming the best sports player in the world, which is so rare for a sports movie. And it's one of the most entertaining movies when it comes to sports players hustling each other, and, in that respect, it's second only to The Color of Money.
Creed (2015)
Stream On Sling
Rocky is undoubtedly one of the greatest sports movies of all time, especially as it does the unprecedented and subverts expectations by having the protagonist lose at the end. However, Zofinda thinks the spin-off, Creed, is better than the 1976 movie, and that it's the best sports movie ever.
The Redditor comments, "Can't believe Creed hasn't been mentioned. It's the best part of Rocky, plus something a little new and fresh. And the boxing is (slightly) more realistic." While the 2015 film isn't quite as good as the original movie, the user does make some great points. The punches in the fights land a lot harder than in the original film, Michael B. Jordan is way more charismatic than Sylvester Stallone, and Rocky's return was fan service at its finest. It's certainly one of the best legacy sequels ever made.
Rush (2013)
Stream On Netflix
Rush achieved what Drive to Survive turned into a winning formula years before the Netflix series. It dramatized the events of a Formula 1 race, and it had audiences who weren't even interested in the sport on the edge of their seats. That was no different for TheJudoJeff, as the Redditor explains, "I couldn't care less about Formula 1 and this movie had me hooked the entire time."
The 2013 movie is one of the most suspenseful films ever, as it chronicles the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The racing sport is more popular now than it has ever been thanks to the Netflix series and Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's rivalry, so the film deserves revisiting now more than ever.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
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Redditors have mentioned boxing movies way more than any other sport, and it's hardly surprising, as there's so much more adrenaline and excitement in boxing than in any other sport. But while movies like Rocky and Warrior might make grown men cry, Million Dollar Baby will leave audiences grieving for weeks.
AncientAlienAias thinks the 2004 release is the best sports movie, adding, "I was an absolute mess by the end of it. I forgot how sad that damn movie is. Incredible film though." While most sports movies end positively, even the ones where the protagonists lose, Million Dollar Baby's ending is anything but a happy one.
Raging Bull (1980)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Indeed09 points to one of director Martin Scorsese's many masterpieces, Raging Bull, as the best ever sports movie. The Redditor simply puts it, "It's head and shoulders above the rest. The only sports movie that you could argue is one of the greatest movies of all time." Of all the great boxing fights in movie history, Jake LaMotta vs. Sugar Ray Robinson is by far the most well-crafted.
Between the black-and-white cinematography, the quick cuts extreme close-up shots, the shots from the characters' points of view, and using Hershey's chocolate for blood, so much effort and thought went into every little detail. Not even Rocky can compare when it comes to the 1980's movie's pacing or the way it looks.
The Longest Yard (2005)
Stream On AMC+ & Pluto TV
1974's The Longest Yard is one of the first-ever great American Football movies, and it has one of the most unique concepts, as it's about a game between prison inmates and their guards. However, that isn't the sports movie that Garlicroastedpotato thinks is the best but, instead, points to the 2005 remake.
The Redditor ruffles some feathers, noting, "Controversial opinion: Adam Sandler's The Longest Yard." While the original already had comedy elements, the remake was a vessel for the likes of Sandler and Chris Rock to do their thing. And though the film was typically disliked by critics, as it has a terrible 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, it resonated with general audiences. The remake might not be the most well-crafted sports movie ever, but it's still exciting, fun, and criminally overlooked.
Cool Runnings (1993)
Stream On Disney+
Druchii5 thinks 1993's Cool Runnings is the best ever sports movie, commenting, "Cool Runnings was my childhood, and such a feel-good film." As Rocky is known for flipping sports movie tropes on their heads, most notably with the way that the protagonist loses in the end, Cool Runnings doesn't get enough credit for doing the same thing.
It was a bold choice for Disney to adapt the real-life story about the Olympic Jamaican bobsled team for a family-friendly sports movie, but it also makes for a great lesson. The team defied all expectations and made it to the Winter Olympics, and it's such a heartwarming story, not to mention hilarious, too.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Stream On Fubo TV, Peacock Premium, & Sling
Surprisingly, The Longest Yard isn't the only Adam Sandler-led sports movie brought up by Redditors when considering the best-ever sports release. Redditor Keeponrollingbaby thinks that Happy Gilmore is the best, perhaps even Sandler's most rewatchable movie ever. The movie follows the titular character who becomes the greatest golfer after applying his ice hockey skills to the sport. As is the case with most Sandler movies, the premise is absolutely ridiculous, but still so much fun.
The Redditor specifically refers to one of the supporting characters who make it so great, explaining, "Shooter McGavin is the greatest sports movie villain of all time." Shooter is one of the funniest Happy Gilmore characters, as he's the ultimate country club snob, and there's no other movie character quite like him.
A League Of Their Own (1992)
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MrPurpleHaze calls A League of Their Own the best sports movie ever. The 1992 movie is based on the true story of an all-female baseball team, and the powerful film has a shockingly star-studded cast that includes Geena Davis and Madonna. The Redditor posits, "There are so many timeless sports movies but this movie’s casting and dialogue are perfect."
Though some characters like Dottie and Kit are more salient, the film gives the spotlight to other characters with their magnetism, comedic timing, and touching story. And the Redditor is correct about the memorable dialogue, where "There's no crying in baseball" is one of the best quotes in A League of Their Own. The 1992 film proves that original female-led films can be successful and become classics, emphasizing the growing interest in women's sports alongside the hilarious and charming dynamic between the cast, such as Tom Hanks and Davis.
Space Jam (1996)
Stream On Tubi TV
Space Jam's legacy might have been slightly tarnished by last year's sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, which sits at 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Liquid_at still has a place in their heart for it. The Redditor is clearly a person of simple pleasures, as they explain, "I mean, it has Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. Can't beat that."
But the user has a point, as the two are ironically one of the best 1990s movie duos. And even though Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was released years earlier, mixing live-action with animation was something few 90s kids had seen at the time. And to this day, those same 90s kids will defend the movie with their lives.