Best Sports Movies to Watch While You're Waiting for Pro Sports to Return

“The Blind Side” is a feel-good movie that tells the story of a couple from Memphis, Tennessee, who took traumatized teen Michael Oher — who eventually became a first-round NFL draft pick and Super Bowl champion — under their wing. Sandra Bullock’s strong performance won her an Oscar for Best Actress. The movie has a 7.6 out of 10 rating on IMDb and 85% of users on Rotten Tomatoes liked it.

Kevin Costner starred in this uplifting movie from Disney based on a true story about a former high school football coach who moves to an economically distressed community in California and turns the cross-country team into a champion. Though some critics thought “McFarland, USA” was a bit formulaic, those on Rotten Tomatoes awarded the film a Freshness score of 81%, while 88% of audiences liked the movie.

The comedy classic about the goings on at an elite golf club (the fictional Bushwood Country Club) has entertained audiences for the past 40 years, including 87% of those who rated it on Rotten Tomatoes. At least two of those involved in the making of the film had extremely limited experience with golf — director Harold Ramis reportedly only played twice prior to making “Caddyshack” and star Chevy Chase said he had “never gone for golf” and “was more of a tennis player.”

“A League of Their Own” is a women’s sports movie, not a common genre back in 1992. Jill Rachlin from Entertainment Weekly calls the movie “a celebration of sport for sport’s sake.” The movie is about the first female professional baseball league, launched in 1943 when men were away fighting in World War Two. Starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna, and directed by Penny Marshall, “A League of Their Own” has a 78% score among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 84% among fans.

“Friday Night Lights,” based on a book by H.G. Bissinger, followed the triumphs and tribulations of the Permian High School football team, which carried the hopes of the economically downtrodden city of Odessa, Texas. The film starred Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton (Best Writer, “Sling Blade”) and holds a Freshness rating of 81% among Rotten Tomatoes critics, with 85% of audiences entertained by the movie. It has a 7.2 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.

Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes lauded Paul Newman’s performance as the player/coach of a failing minor league hockey team that starts winning after he adds to the roster several overly physical players of questionable ability. The raunchy depiction of minor league hockey in America, directed by George Roy Hill, earned a Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics of 85% and 89% of audiences were amused by the film. “Slap Shot” holds a 7.3 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.

Minor league baseball provided the backdrop for a love triangle involving a player with fading skills (Kevin Costner), a rising star (Tim Robbins), and the team groupie (Susan Sarandon) who romances both of them. The script that blended comedy and romance earned a Best Writing Oscar nomination for writer-director Ron Shelton. Chicago Tribune critic Dave Kehr said the movie “is a warm, droll, deftly cracked romantic comedy” and critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 97% Freshness rating. Among IMDb users, “Bull Durham” has a rating of 7.1 out of 10.

“Queen of Katwe” is a Disney movie telling the story of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan chess prodigy, who went from selling corn on the streets to winning international chess tournaments. Her mother was portrayed by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave”). Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the child actress who played a friend of Mutesi, died in February 2020 at age 15 from brain cancer.

Barry Levinson directed this homage to the national pastime based on Bernard Malamud’s novel of the same name that is part sports drama and part fantasy. Robert Redford played a Depression-era baseball player whose hitting prowess seems almost divinely ordained. The staff at Variety said “The Natural” was “an impeccably made, but quite strange, fable about success and failure in America.” Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a Freshness rating of 82%, while audiences awarded the movie a score of 88%. The film has a rating of 7.5 out of 10 among IMDb users.

“Miracle” is about the man behind one of the most famous victories (and upsets) in the history of hockey. Kurt Russell played Herb Brooks, who coached the U.S. Olympic hockey team against the Soviet squad, which was believed to be unbeatable. The American team eventually won the gold medal. The movie has a 7.5 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

“Rudy” is the sentimental story about a working-class young man whose goal is to play football for the University of Notre Dame, his dream school, despite the fact he’s undersized. Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes hailed the film for its “uplifting spirit and determination.” “Rudy” is an audience favorite, scoring 90% among Rotten Tomatoes users and has a rating of 7.5 out of 10 among IMDb users.

“I, Tonya” is a comedy drama about the rise and fall of competitive ice skater Tonya Harding, whose legacy was forever tarnished by her alleged involvement in one of the biggest scandals in sports history — the attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Margot Robbie got her first Oscar nomination for playing Harding and Alison Janney won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Harding’s mother. The movie has an 89% score among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 88% of the fans on the site liked it.

Described by Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus as “an inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary,” “Remember the Titans” stars Denzel Washington as high school football coach Herman Boone, who is hired to oversee the newly desegregated public school team. The film was a hit with audiences, receiving positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes from 93% of the more than 578,000 users who rated it.

“Hoosiers,” the story about a longshot Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship, was lauded by the Washington Post for its “fast-break cinematography that catches the pace of the game.” The film was also buoyed by the performances of Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, and Dennis Hopper. The movie has an 89% Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics, and 88% of audiences liked it. “Hoosiers” holds a rating of 7.5 out of 10 among IMDb users.

Kevin Costner returned to the national pastime in this sports fantasy about a struggling Iowa farmer who carves a baseball diamond out of his cornfield. Soon afterward, the 1919 Chicago White Sox, infamous for rigging the World Series, show up at the field. The film, known for the quote “If you build it, he will come,” has a Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics of 87% and 86% of audiences liked the movie. It was also the last feature-length movie for actor Burt Lancaster.

Clint Eastwood directs “Million Dollar Baby” about a poor 31-year-old woman who is determined to become a professional boxer, only to have her promising career cut short by a tragic injury. The movie won four of the biggest categories — Best Picture, Best Actress (Hilary Swank), Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman), and Best Director. It has a Freshness rating of 91% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 90% of audiences liked it.

Gary Cooper starred as Lou Gehrig, the New York Yankees Hall of Fame first baseman whose career was cut short by the neuromuscular disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The Oscar-winning movie is a tribute to the courage Gehrig displayed in the face of the crippling disease. “The Pride of the Yankees” has a Freshness rating among Rotten Tomatoes critics of 93% and 89% of audiences liked the film. It has a rating of 7.7 out of 10 among IMDb users.

“Breaking Away” is a coming-of-age movie about a cycling enthusiast in Indiana who dreams of riding with a team of renowned Italian cyclists while he pursues his love interest who has gone away to Indiana University. The film featured emerging stars Dennis Quaid and Daniel Stern. It holds a Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating among critics of 94% and 88% of audiences liked the movie. The movie has a 7.7 rating out of 10 among IMDb users.

While perhaps better classified as a “sports-adjacent” movie, there is no greater loved film to feature the sport of bowling more centrally than the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski.” Lead character Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) — who is subjected to an absurd chain of events after being mistaken for a much wealthier man named Lebowski — is a dedicated bowler who plays in an organized league. The movie has a rating of 8.1 out of 10 on IMDb and was given a positive rating by 94% of users who reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics praise Mickey Rourke for his “astounding,” “career-reviving” performance as a popular wrestler who suffers a heart attack and is forced to retire, but struggles with his new life. The movie, which was directed by Oscar-nominated director Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), has a 7.9 out of 10 rating on IMDb. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave “The Wrestler” a 98% Freshness rating while 88% of audiences liked the movie.

Oscar winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) directed this sports drama about the legendary rivalry between two of the most popular Formula One drivers of the 1970s — fun-loving James Hunt, played by Chris Hemsworth, and disciplined Niki Lauda, played by Daniel Brühl. Wesley Morris from Grantland described the movie’s script as a “speculative duet built around a moment of newsworthiness.” “Rush” has a Freshness rating of 88% among both critics and fans.

“Moneyball,” nominated for six Oscars and based on the book by Michael Lewis, told the story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who tried to build a winning team in a small market by using computer-based analysis and data. Sharply written and keenly observed by Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, the movie has a Freshness score among Rotten Tomatoes critics of 94% and 86% of audiences liked the film. It has a rating of 7.6 out of 10 among nearly 350,000 IMDb users.

The feature debut from writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood expertly mixes sports and romance as we watch the intertwined lives of athletes Quincy and Monica over a number of years. While critics delivered a respectable Freshness rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, audience members really took to the film, giving it 95% positive reviews. In addition to seeking actors who had experience playing basketball, Prince-Bythewood had performers with limited athletic ability train with coaches prior to filming.

“Ford v Ferrari,” directed by James Mangold, tells the remarkable true story of American car designer Carroll Shelby (Oscar winner Matt Damon) and British driver Ken Miles (Oscar winner Christian Bale) preparing for the grueling 24-hour auto race in Le Mans, France. The two overcome many struggles to build and drive cars representing Ford Motor Company and the then-dominant Italian Ferrari. The movie has a Freshness rating of 92% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 98% of audiences liked it.

“Raging Bull” is considered by many to be the best sports movie ever and one of the best films of the 1980s. Director Martin Scorsese shot it in black and white to underscore the grim and violent life of champion boxer Jake LaMotta inside and outside the ring. Many critics believe the film is the greatest collaboration of Scorsese and Robert De Niro, and it holds a 93% approval rating among critics and audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes. It has an exceptional rating of 8.2 out of 10 among nearly 311,000 critics on Rotten Tomatoes.