10 Most Underrated Sports Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

Great sports movies have the power to tell universal stories. Even audiences that have no interest in boxing can enjoy Rocky or Raging Bull, and it doesn’t take a hockey expert to enjoy Slap Shot. In fact, watching sports movies is a lot like watching sports themselves; audiences cheer for players and root against antagonists.

The best sports movies have compelling characters, exciting stories, and interesting themes that attract audiences outside a core group of sports fans. Whether they’re based on true stories or entirely fictitious, these films make up a unique subgenre of cinema that is worth celebrating. Here are ten of the most underrated sports films of the 21st century, ranked.

10 ‘Draft Day’ (2014)

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Draft Day takes a much different look at football and the NFL season than traditional sports classics like Friday Night Lights or Rudy. The film explores the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the scenes at the National Football League’s annual draft from the perspective of Sonny Weaver (Kevin Costner), the fictional manager of the Cleveland Browns. Additionally, a young Chadwick Boseman is a particular standout as the Ohio State prospect Vontae Mack.

Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman uses inventive split screen techniques to showcase Sonny’s strategies. The film also does a great job at showing the perspective of the players themselves. Draft Day received some blowback from sports professionals for its lack of accuracy – former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt criticized the depiction of the NFL. Nonetheless, Draft Day suceeds in showing the business side of sports management, and serves as a welcome alternative to other football films.

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9 ‘Southpaw’ (2015)

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Southpaw may have a lot in common with other boxing classics, but that doesn’t mean that Antoine Fuqua’s traditional approach to the material isn’t excellently crafted. Jake Gyllenhaal gives one of his more underrated performances as the boxing champion Billy Hope, who spirals into a path of self-destruction after the shocking death of his wife (Rachel McAdams). As Billy fights his way back to the top, he learns to connect more closely with his young daughter (Oona Chaplin).

While Fuqua primarily works in the action genre, Southpaw showed that he could make a classically inspirational sports drama. Southpaw does resort to using some clichés that are common within boxing movies, but the dramatic authenticity that Gyllenhaal brings to his performance makes it well worth watching. Most notably, he committed physically to the demanding role, which resulted in a riveting on-screen journey.

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8 ‘High Flying Bird’ (2019)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Leave it to Steven Soderbergh to make a film about the accessibility of streaming services, and then release it directly on Netflix. 2019’s High Flying Bird examines a fictionalized NBA player walkout, which inspires the sports manager Ray Burke (Andre Holland) and his assistant Sam (Zazie Beetz) to find a way to connect directly with fans.

Who owns the rights to these games? Is it the agents, the players, or the audiences that view them? Soderbergh analyzes accessibility and race relations with this clever commentary on the infrastructure of modern sports. High Flying Bird may actually have been ahead of its time. In the aftermath of the film’s release, Soderbergh discussed his personal concerns about the lack of transparency in streaming services. The issues of streaming ownership and artistic integrity are critical to the story of High Flying Bird.

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7 ‘Bleed for This’ (2016)

Directed by Ben Younger

Miles Teller has proven himself as a talented dramatic actor ever since The Spectacular Now and Whiplash, but he gives the performance of his career in the 2016 biopic Bleed for This. The film follows the incredible true story of Vinny Pazienza, a lightweight boxing champion who suffered a critical spinal injury. After being told that he will never fight again, Vinny rebuilds his mind and spirit as he vows to take back his title. The great Aaron Eckhart gives a particularly powerful supporting performance as Vinny’s longtime coach and mentor, Kevin Rooney.

Although Teller has given many great performances, he never made a physical transformation like the one he did for Bleed for This. It stands out as a particularly underrated film within his filmography that should have earned him significant award season attention.

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6 ‘Eddie the Eagle’ (2016)

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Rocketman wasn’t the first creative biopic that Taron Egerton and director Dexter Fletcher worked on together; they previously collaborated on the 2016 sports comedy Eddie the Eagle. The film tells the incredible true story of Michael David Edwards, the English ski jumper that revived the sport by representing his country in the Olympic Games. Michael was determined to become an Olympic athlete from a very young age, and the film has a great time examining why this specific sport is the right one for him.

There’s a lot of fun banter between Michael and his idiosyncratic trainer, Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman). Although there have been many films made about the Olympic Games, the sport of ski jumping was never depicted in as much detail as it was in Eddie the Eagle. This makes the film an underrated gem, as it provides information on an underrepresented field of competition.

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5 ‘The Program’ (2015)

Directed by Stephen Frears

Although there have been several documentaries about Lance Armstrong and his infamous doping scandal, Ben Foster captures the twisted psychology of the controversial athlete in Stephen Frears’ excellent 2016 biopic The Program. The film examines Armstrong’s fall from grace from the perspective of the journalist Dave Walsh (Chris O’Dowd), who discovered the acclaimed champion’s web of lies.

Frears shows how Armstrong’s scandal became part of a larger conversation about the integrity of athletes; Walsh’s revelations threaten the various networks and sponsors that have all benefited from Armstrong’s success. While Armstrong’s story has been depicted in documentaries, seeing it play out as a dramatic story in filmmakes it even more compelling. Some historical films do nothing but replicate the headlines, but The Program takes the time to show what made Armstrong’s lie such a shock.

the program

Release Date

September 16, 2015

Director

Stephen Frears

Cast

Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons, Lee Pace, Denis Menochet

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

103

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4 ‘Win Win’ (2011)

Directed by Tom McCarthy

Win Win is just a great feel good movie about the importance of parental figures. Paul Giamatti gives one of his best performances as Mike Flaherty, a lawyer who becomes a mentor and coach to the aspiring wrestler Kyle Timmons (Alex Shaffer). Although initially Mike’s goals are selfish, he learns to form an actual relationship with Kyle as the two become more involved in each other’s lives.

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Although the film risks being overly saccharine at times, Mike is such an expressive character that the film never becomes too sentimental. Giamatti has given many great performances, but Win Win stands out as a unique role for him because of how seamlessly it blends comedy and drama. Win Win is about more than just sports, but the scenes that depict wrestling are expertly handled by director Tom McCarthy.

Win Win

Release Date

March 18, 2011

Director

Tom McCarthy

Cast

Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, Melanie Lynskey

Rating

R

Runtime

106

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3 ‘Borg vs. McEnroe’ (2017)

Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen

Borg vs. McEnroe examines one of the most historic rivalries in tennis history. The film follows the American hotshot John McEnroe (Shia Labeouf) and the reclusive Swedish champion Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) during the lead up to their iconic series of matches at the 1980 Wimbledon Championship. It’s the rare film about a sports rivalry that shows each characters’ perspective equally.

Despite their radically different approaches to the game, Borg and McEnroe discover they have much more in common than they had initially known. Labeouf in particular does a great job at capturing McEnroe’s temperamental nature. There are relatively few films about tennis, but Borg vs. McEnroe stands out as one of the most undervalued. The film finds a way to bring memorable sports figures to life and make them feel real. Even for those that don’t know as much about the game play of tennis itself, Borg vs. McEnroe is simply a great rivalry movie.

Borg vs. McEnroe

Release Date

September 8, 2017

Director

Janus Metz Pedersen

Cast

Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny, Sverrir Gudnason, Robert Emms, Ian Blackman

Rating

R

Runtime

90

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2 ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’ (2005)

Directed by Bill Paxton

While there aren’t necessarily a lot of great golf movies out there, Bill Paxton’s 2005 drama The Greatest Game Ever Played does a pretty great job dramatizing one of the most important moments in the history of the sport. The film explores the rise of the young golf enthusiast Francis Ouimet (Shia Labeouf), who competed as an amateur at the 1912 U.S. Open and took home the championship. Ouimet gets the chance to compete against his hero, the British professional golfer Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane).

The Greatest Game Ever Played shows both the benefits and issues of hero worship in sports. Although Disney produced many sports classics in the 1990s, The Greatest Game Ever Played takes a more serious approach to its material. The film’s earnestness and respect for the game of golf make it one of the more underrated Disney sports films.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

Release Date

September 30, 2005

Director

Bill Paxton

Cast

James Paxton, Tom Rack, Armand Laroche, Peter Hurley, Gregory Terlecki, Jonathan Higgins

Rating

PG

Runtime

115

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1 ‘The Damned United’ (2009)

Directed by Tom Hooper

Although Cats and The Danish Girl may have suggested otherwise, Tom Hooper is actually a pretty talented filmmaker, especially when it comes to stories about real moments in British history. Hooper dramatizes one of the most infamous scandals in British football history in the 2009 drama The Damned United. Michael Sheen stars as Brian Clough, the newly appointed manager of Leeds United who was fired after less than two months.

Although Clough was considered hot-headed in his media appearances, Sheen does a good job at showing a more sensitive side to his personality. While The Damned United has been criticized by football experts, the film isn’t as much about the sport as it is about reputation, perception, and the cost of victory. It’s an underrated film that both football buffs and non-experts can enjoy because of the potent story that it tells.

The Damned United

Release Date

March 27, 2009

Director

Tom Hooper

Cast

Colm Meaney, Henry Goodman, David Roper, Jimmy Reddington, Oliver Stokes, Ryan Day

Rating

R

Runtime

97

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