The best movies in this genre show their subjects overcoming adversity and teach us something about the role of sports in the larger culture. Here are some of the greatest sports movies you can catch on streaming platforms right now. Written and directed by future Black Panther helmer Ryan Coogler, Creed somehow honors the Rocky franchise’s legacy while forging a solid story for old and new fans alike. Creed received an overwhelmingly positive response from critics and even drew awards buzz, with Stallone earning a much-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Penny Marshall’s film is a funny, touching tribute to baseball and the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Whether it’s the intelligent and snappy script or the fact that many actresses performed the stunts, few sports movies are as enjoyable. Despite often being left off many “all-time sports movies” lists, A League of Their Own is the highest-earning baseball movie in history and has become a beloved classic in its own right. O.J.: Made in America won several industry awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It’s the longest film ever to receive an Oscar nomination and win. It swayed the Academy to bar future multi-part or limited series from eligibility in the documentary categories. Thanks in large part to Aaron Sorkin’s snappy script, Moneyball somehow makes discussions of MLB economics and player analytics riveting. Pitt’s chemistry with co-star Jonah Hill also goes a long way in making this such an enjoyable watch. Moneyball was one of the best-reviewed films of 2011 and received six Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Pitt), Best Supporting Actor (Hill), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Film Editing. Although Goon has “dumb comedy” written all over it, it paints a sympathetic picture of failed athletes while offering a tribute to the all-but-obsolete enforcer role in professional hockey. Featuring a supporting cast of Canadian talent headlined by Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, and Eugene Levy, Goon received four nominations at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards and spawned a sequel, Goon: Last of the Enforcers, released in 2017. It’s an intense ride both on and off the track, showing how unhealthy and dangerous chasing perfection can be. As exciting and well-shot as the actual races are, it’s hard not to feel a sense of dread each time the movie’s protagonists set foot behind the wheel. One of Howard’s best movies to date, Rush earned several high-profile nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Supporting Actor for Brühl at the Golden Globes. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s book of the same name, the movie follows a Texas high school football team’s run to the 1988 state championship. Starring Billy Bob Thornton and a range of up-and-coming young stars, Friday Night Lights is a great high school movie and a thrilling sports drama. Friday Night Lights mainly received positive reviews upon reviews, but its most significant legacy is the TV show it spawned two years later. It aired from 2006-2011 and is arguably even better than the movie. Profiling rock climber Alex Honnold’s free solo climb of El Capitan in June 2017, Free Solo, was directed and filmed by a crew of experienced climbers, which helps create a sense of intimacy that can be nauseating at times. Even with the knowledge that Honnold survived the climb, it’s hard not to watch every second of his attempt with bated breath. Free Solo premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018, where it won the People’s Choice Award in the Documentaries category. It also notably beat out RBG to win Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards. While it would be easy to dismiss Miracle as American exceptionalism propaganda, it’s a universal story about overcoming adversity and chasing dreams. Miracle received a positive response from critics, with much of the praise focused on Russell’s lead performance. It won the Best Sports Movie ESPY Award for 2004. Hoop Dreams is regularly cited as one of the best documentaries of all time and received near-universal acclaim from critics. Although it received a nomination for Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards, its omission from the Best Documentary category was a significant controversy.
