"Who's An Animal?" Martin Scorsese's Robert De Niro-led biopic about the life of infamous boxer Jake LaMotta may be the best sports drama of all time, but a multitude of riveting thrillers and dark comedies about the lives of athletes existence in Raging Bull's immediate shadow. Many of these masterful films are also available to stream.
Whether they're focused on football, boxing, baseball, or even pool, the best sports dramas use athletics as a backdrop to explore what it means to be human. These films delve into how people are driven by competition, defeat, desire, and camaraderie - either through intimate character studies or large ensemble productions.
Raging Bull (1980): Hulu
Robert De Niro gives the performance of a lifetime as world middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull, which traces the heyday of LaMotta's career in the '40s and '50s - followed by his swift decline from the game. Paranoid, arrogant, and jealous, LaMotta's hardcore fighting style and hedonistic nature led to his demise.
In the beautifully-shot black-and-white film, LaMotta pushes everyone close to him away, from his brother Joey to his wife Vickie. Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty co-star in what's considered one of Martin Scorsese's best films.
Moneyball (2011): Netflix
Baseball becomes every tech nerd's dream in Bennett Miller's Moneyball, based on the real-life 2002 season for Oakland Athletics baseball. Brad Pitt plays the team's general manager, Billy Beane, who must recruit a competitive team on a very limited budget.
With the help of his assistant coach Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, Beane uses advanced analytics data to scout underappreciated, but very talented, players. Even for those who don't care about baseball, Moneyball is an engaging feature.
Any Given Sunday (1999): Peacock
Al Pacino is at his maniacal best as fictional NFL coach Tony D'Amato in Oliver Stone's bombastic football film. Pacino is joined by the likes of Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, and LL Cool J in Any Given Sunday, centered around the Miami Sharks - who are struggling to get through their 1999 season.
When Quaid's star quarterback character is injured on the field, Jamie Foxx's third-string character ascends into the limelight, where he takes the team's game to the next level. With a new owner and potential replacement breathing down his neck, Coach D'Amato informs his players winning is the only option.
I, Tonya (2017): Hulu
Craig Gillespie's mockumentary-style look into figure skater Tonya Harding's role in the 1994 attack of her rival Nancy Kerrigan is as hilarious as it is dark. Margot Robbie plays Harding, and the actor's ability to immerse herself in her character makes the film's trajectory all the more compelling.
I, Tonya also stars Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, and Caitlin Carver as Kerrigan. It manages to poke fun at the media's obsession with Harding without glamorizing her.
Million Dollar Baby (2004): HBO Max
Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank team up for Million Dollar Baby, which is also directed by Eastwood. Swank plays an aspiring lightweight boxer who convinces Eastwood's character, an ornery boxing trainer, to take her under his wing.
Million Dollar Baby is a true underdog story, a classic sports melodrama about the value of hard work, dedication, and physical endurance. It earned both Swank and Freeman Oscars for their performances.
Uncut Gems (2019): Netflix
Basketball lingers in the background throughout Uncut Gems, which stars Adam Sandler as a Diamond District jeweler who is also a compulsive gambler. Sandler's character is so addicted to gambling on basketball games he owes over $100,000 to his loan shark brother-in-law.
Things get worse for Sandler's character Howard when basketball star Kevin Garnett gets involved in Howard's convoluted scheme. While more of a crime thriller than a sports drama, Uncut Gems digs into the world of betting that co-exists alongside most major sports.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002): Disney+
Bend It Like Beckham is an inspirational, all-ages soccer film about a young woman in London who must hide her love for the game from her strict parents. Jess Bhamra is the daughter of Indian immigrants living in London who don't want her to play organized sports.
Jess has a natural affinity for soccer, though, and her friend Jules recruits her to play in a semi-pro team. Jess keeps her matches from her parents while ascending higher and higher up the ranks.
Warrior (2011): Amazon Prime
Warrior feels like a Shakespearan tragedy whose events occur in an MMA ring. Tom Hardy battles Joel Edgerton in the film, which sees the talented actors playing estranged brothers who both decide to compete in a mixed martial arts tournament with a big payout.
Nick Nolte plays the alcoholic father of the two men, the person responsible for causing so much tension in their relationship. The result is one gut-punch of a sports flick.
The Color Of Money (1986): Amazon Prime
Another Martin Scorsese film, an older Paul Newman takes a young Tom Cruise under his wing in The Color of Money. In this follow-up to 1961's The Hustler, Newman reprises his role as pool scammer Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson.
"Fast Eddie" takes Cruise's talented but young character, Vincent Lauria, on as a pupil, but Lauria's ego gets in the way. Eventually, the two hustlers find themselves around the billiards table again - but this time as opponents.
Friday Night Lights (2004): HBO Max
In Odessa, Texas, everyone lives and breathes football. The town's high school team is its pride and joy, and when its star player is seriously injured at the beginning of a new season, public life becomes tumultuous and unhinged.
Billy Bob Thornton plays the team's new coach, who must boost the morale of his other players who proving to locals the team still has what it takes to win. Based on a true story, Friday Night Lights led to a successful TV series.