The Wrestler – 98%


There may be those who question whether or not wrestling can truly be classed as a sport, but there’s no denying the rapturous critical reception that greeted director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. The 2008 drama boasted Oscar-nominated, career-best performances from Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, and attracted almost unanimous critical praise to the tune of an outstanding 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki – 98%

A Finnish production from director Juho Kuosmanen, The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki might not be the most widely-seen biopic of a real-life boxer, but at present it’s the one with the highest RT score at 98%. The romantic drama starring Jarkko Lahti in the title role was awarded the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016.

Bad News Bears – 97%

Sports movies aren’t just for grown-ups. Another of the best-loved examples of the subgenre is 1976’s The Bad News Bears, which stars Walter Matthau as a washed-up ex-minor league baseball player hired to coach a team of rowdy youngsters. A big hit that spawned two sequels, a TV spin-off and a 2005 remake, the film also scores a handsome 97% on the Tomatometer.

Bull Durham – 97%

With no less than twelve of them on his resume, Kevin Costner is sometimes considered the king of the sports movie – and his most celebrated ones involve baseball. As far as the critics are concerned, the jewel in Costner’s crown is 1988’s Bull Durham, in which he plays a minor league pitcher alongside Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. Writer-director Ron Shelton’s film is rated 97% fresh.

National Velvet – 97%

Best remembered today as the film that first made screen legend Elizabeth Taylor a star, 1944’s National Velvet is adapted from Enid Bagnold’s novel, and follows the love between a young girl and her would-be champion racehorse. A beloved classic that won two Oscars and spawned belated 1978 sequel International Velvet, director Clarence Brown’s film is rated 97% fresh at RT.

Horse Feathers – 97%

This 1932 film from iconic comedy troupe the Marx Brothers was one of their best-loved works, and is still beloved by critics (scoring 97% on RT), yet it’s also a favorite of sports film fanatics. Horse Feathers is set in the world of college football, and its closing sequence was once named one the best movie football scenes ever by ESPN.

Creed – 95%

Doubtless many older fans will be spitting feathers that any entry in the Rocky series is ranked above the original 1976 classic, however, 2015 legacy sequel Creed is the best in the franchise as far as critics are concerned. Director Ryan Coogler’s film introduces Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed, landed Sylvester Stallone an Oscar nomination, and is rated 95% fresh.

Breaking Away – 95%

Winner of the 1979 Best Original Screenplay Oscar for screenwriter Steve Tesich, Breaking Away is an acclaimed coming of age drama whose central character Dave (Dennis Christopher) is an obsessive competitive cycling fan, eager to compete in the Indiana University Little 500 race. Boasting early performances from Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern and Jackie Earle Haley, director Peter Yates’ film is rated 95% fresh.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India – 95%

It’s well-established that some of the best cricketers in the world are from India, so it seems only fitting that the highest-rated cricket-based film ever made should be an Indian production. 2001’s Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India is a period drama that was the most expensive Indian film ever made at the time. Director Ashutosh Gowariker’s almost four-hour epic is rated 95% fresh.

The Hustler – 94%

Adapted from Walter Tevis’ 1959 novel, 1961’s The Hustler is one of the most popular films from the oeuvre of film legend Paul Newman, who takes the lead as skilled pool player ‘Fast’ Eddie Felson. Nominated for eight Oscars, and later sequelized with 1986’s The Color of Money, The Hustler has a very respectable 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.