Sports movies follow a formula that most moviegoers understand at this point, they rarely deviate from it, but at the same time, it is a formula that simply works. This feel-good moment when the underdog succeeds makes sports movies successful and wonderful to watch. Over the last decades, multiple sports movies have come swinging and have found a place in the public hearts no matter how much they follow this formula we all know. From the recently Oscar-nominated King Richard to the beloved Moneyball, here are the nine best sports movies of the last decade.
Moneyball (2011)
Based on the 2003 nonfiction book by Michael Lewis, Moneyball recounts the 2002 season of the Oakland Athletics baseball team and how their general manager, Billy Beanes (Brad Pitt), assembled a competitive team with undervalued talent by taking an analytic approach to scouting. The Oakland Athletics team's approach during their 2002 season is one for the history books, one that has changed more than one major sports league, with teams trying to take the same approach to win a championship. It’s one of historic proportion and one that deserved a worthy adaptation. From the airtight script to the performances from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, Moneyball perfectly balances telling a story while also staying true to the events that inspired the film.
42 (2013)
Based on the true story of Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), 42 recounts the baseball player’s rise to the MLB as the first black baseball player in the modern era and his fight to stay in a league that hated the color of his skin. Jackie Robinson’s story was unknown to the general public, and showcasing how important he was not only to the MLB but to sports in general. 42 provided a platform to showcase the late, great Chadwick Boseman's immense talent while creating a thoughtful and respectful biopic of one of the greatest athletes. Pairing that with the fact that 42 works on almost every aspect, you end up with a film that stays with you long past the end of the credits. It’s a story that deserves to be known, and 42 does everything to make sure that you understand how incredible Jackie Robinson was.
Creed (2015)
A sequel and spin-off to the Rocky movies, Creed follows the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), as he starts training with Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and tries to accept his family name and the legacy that comes with it. What Creed did for the Rocky franchise was monumental, not only modernizing it for an audience that probably had never seen it before but also settling it in the modern era - something that other sequels and spin-offs have failed to do. Ryan Coogler proved that modernizing a film isn’t complicated when you have something to say and do it right without feeling like a cash grab. There’s something pure about Creed: how the film handles the new generation and the one before it. It pays homage to the original series while also making sure to stand apart; no need to have seen the original Rocky franchise to understand Creed. It stands on its own, which is why it works so well.
Eddie The Eagle (2016)
Based on the story of Michael Edwards (Taron Egerton), Eddie The Eagle recounts his journey to the 1988 Winter Olympics in ski jumping, the first man to do so for Great Britain since 1928. Probably the title with the least exposure on the list, Eddie The Eagle brought a heartwarming, mostly forgotten story of the underdog succeeding against all odds. It is as by the books as it can be and relies heavily upon the chemistry of Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, but when it works, it is terrific. There’s something heartwarming about this film and how it chooses to tell the story. Underdog stories are the bread and water of sports films, but that doesn’t mean that from time to time, one can’t come along and make it work to its advantage. Eddie The Eagle knows it has this heartwarming message and that it is cheesy, but it doesn’t matter because it does what it needs to in order to do justice to Edwards’ story.
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Loosely based on the tennis match of the same name, Battle of the Sexes recounts the rise of the WTA Tour and the iconic game between the best woman’s tennis player, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), and former tennis champion Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell). Working in tandem as a biographical film not only for Billie Jean King but also for the WTA, Battle of the Sexes tries to navigate a lot of stories in a short time. It does so clumsily, but once it finally arrives at the actual match between Riggs and King, the film becomes worth the stumbles it took to get there. Most of the film relies on Emma Stone and Steve Carell, sometimes to a fault, but it is easy to forgive its faults because of how good they are. What makes Battle of the Sexes work is that once the film stops trying to be too many origin stories and focuses on getting to the match itself, it becomes clear why the story is being told. It stays relevant and proves that no matter how many strides have been made, the message behind it remains an important one.
I, Tonya (2017)
I, Tonya follows the life of figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie); the film is based on contradictory interviews given by Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) and their connection to the 1994 attack on Harding’s rival, Nancy Kerrigan. To this day, Tonya Harding still denies any involvement with the attack on Kerrigan, and the film provides a lot of context without actually confirming anything. This idea is the basis of I, Tonya, because no one involved in the attack wants to admit anything, contradicting everything. It’s a concept that creates a film that balances the tragedy of Kerrigan’s attack and Harding’s homelife while also playing on the comedy brought on by these conflicting interviews that both Harding and Gillooly gave after. Adding to that the incredible – and nuanced – performance from Margot Robbie while also pairing her with some supporting performances that match, and at times excel, her performance, you find yourself with a memorable and hilarious film.
Fighting With My Family (2019)
Based on a 2012 documentary, Fighting with My Family recounts the career of English professional wrestler Paige (Florence Pugh) as she tries to make it to the WWE and follows her brother Zak Zodiac (Jack Lowden), who struggles with his failure to make it to the same level as his little sister.
Even when a sports film seems to be for a particular and niche audience, it somehow finds a way to open its horizon and tell a universal story that might not have been what you expected. That is precisely what Fighting With My Family does. Not everyone watches WWE or even knows about it, yet this film doesn’t care about that. It might be about Paige’s journey to becoming the youngest WWE Diva Champion, but in reality, it is the story of a family and their love for each other. It’s a testament to the story but also the film itself. The film explains it best, this was all of their dreams, and by the end of it, yes, only one made it to the WWE, but they all succeeded because one of them did.
The Way Back (2020)
The only non-biographical film on this list, The Way Back follows an alcoholic construction worker who is recruited by his alma mater to coach the basketball team he was once the star of. One of the biggest casualties in terms of exposure during the pandemic, having been in theatres only for two weeks before everything shut down, The Way Back showcases some of the best acting from Ben Affleck in a while and proved that he could still deliver a nuanced performance. Less about basketball and more about the emotional journey, The Way Back follows the formula. Still, instead of focusing on the sport, it focuses on the man behind it. Affleck has been open with his struggle with alcoholism, and it is clear that he understood the character he was playing, which gave the film another layer that might have been missed with another actor at the helm of it.
King Richard (2021)
King Richard recounts the journey that Richard Williams (Will Smith) took to ensure that his daughters, Venus and Serena Williams (Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton), would become the best tennis players in the world and his struggle to get the two girls there on account of them being Black. The latest in the long line of sports movies, it is surprising that it took this long to get a film about the Williams sisters and their journey to becoming two of the best athletes in the world. What makes it even more interesting is the choice to focus on their father, a choice that the sisters themselves wanted. While the film might center around a tennis family, it is about a father's love for his daughters and want for them to be the best. While the film might be about Richard, it becomes apparent that the film's strength lies within the sisters' story. While not perfect, King Richard showcases the best and the worst aspects of his story and explains how the Williams sisters became the great players they are today.