What is it that keeps drawing audiences to sports movies? There’s something so satisfying about watching someone succeed despite facing impossible odds, and sometimes those kinds of stories are exactly what we need. Some sports films are inspired by true events, which makes them even more compelling to watch; others are fictional, but just as much fun; and then there are documentaries, revealing interesting truths about what goes on behind the scenes.
So many sports movies are available to stream right now, and each platform has its own unique blend of originals, classics, and recent releases, which is why it can be a good idea to use a multichannel video provider such as DIRECTV and access multiple entertainment networks at once. Regardless of how you watch these films, today we made a list of 5 great sports movies that are all available to stream on Max! We’ve included some recent releases, a couple of classics, and two excellent documentaries that are bound to get your interest! Find them all below in alphabetical order, and enjoy!
1. BS High (2023)
Let’s start with this documentary about an unbelievable story. Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s 2023 BS High premiered at the Tribeca Festival to much acclaim ahead of its release on HBO and Max. The movie takes us to August 29, 2021, when Ohio’s Bishop Sycamore High School lost to Florida’s IMG Academy in a televised game of American football broadcast on ESPN. But what if we told you that both the Bishop Sycamore High School and its team, the Bishop Sycamore Centurions, were entirely fictional?
If you’re not familiar with the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal, prepare to have your jaw on the floor as you learn about the man behind it all, charismatic con artist Roy Johnson, who pretended to be the a coach and was able to get his “team” to national television without anyone stopping him simply because nobody thought to take measures to prevent this kind of thing from happening, due to the absurdity of it all. Executive produced by Don’t Look Up‘s Adam McKay and winner of a Critics’ Choice Documentary Award, BS High somehow manages to be both gripping and disquieting, and it’s a must-watch sports movie on Max.
2. Eddie the Eagle (2016)
Hugh Jackman, Taron Egerton, the Winter Olympics. Need we say more? This 2016 classic tells the story of British ski jumper Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Egerton), whose refusal to accept his underdog status eventually led him to the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. In the movie, from director Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman), we follow him as he travels to Germany and has a chance meeting with charismatic coach Bronson Peary (Jackman), who decides to help the athlete make the world believe in him as much as Eddie already believes in himself. Eddie the Eagle doesn’t revolutionize the formula and won’t hold any shocking revelations, it will still make for a highly entertaining watch. Egerton and Jackman excel in the very definition of a feel-good, inspirational sports movie, and the true story behind it is just as uplifting. Fun fact: both Jim Broadbent and Christopher Walken both make an appearance in the film!
3. The Iron Claw (2023)
Zac Efron shines in this award-winning film from writer-director Sean Durkin (The Nest), which gives us a fictionalized account of the true story of the Von Erich brothers. The family became famous in the 1980s because every single one of Fritz Von Erich’s (played by Holt McCallany in the movie) sons made it to the ring, all pushed by their father to become the next World Class Champion, and most of them eventually succumbed — some of them quite literally — to the weight of these expectations. The film is told mainly through the point of view of Efron’s Kevin Von Erich, whose conflict between his own desires and his father’s manipulative behavior grows until he reaches the point of no return, which his when his brothers Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), and Mike (Stanley Simons) enter the picture, also pushed by their father’s thirst for fame.
What makes the film so special is that it doesn’t judge its characters; instead, it tells us their story with compassion, crafting a movie that has plenty of intense games and motivational training sessions but also a lot of heart. Thanks to fantastic performances from the entire cast, The Iron Claw works both as an enthralling sports movie and as an insightful examination of family dynamics, legacy, obsession, and masculinity in the industry. We guarantee you’ll find yourself thinking about that last scene for a long time after the credits roll.
4. King Richard (2021)
This 2021 docudrama has already achieved cult classic status thanks to exceptional performances from Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney and Will Smith – which earned the latter an Academy Award in 2022. Not unlike The Iron Claw, this is also a movie about a father who’s a little to invested in their family’s professional lives. In this case, that person is Richard Williams (Smith), father to Venus (Sidney) and Serena (Singleton), and self-appointed coach of both. It’s best if you go into the movie knowing as little as you can about the true story behind it – which gave us tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams – and the controversial figure that their father became as they were growing up. Yet King Richard isn’t just about the titular patriarch, but also about two strong Black women who managed to stay true to themselves despite it all. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is also superb as Brandy Williams.
5. When We Were Kings (1996)
Let’s end our list with this 1997 Oscar-winning documentary classic from director Leon Gast! When We Were Kings chronicles the true story of the heavyweight championship boxing match known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” which saw champion George Foreman face challenger Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974. The documentary details the events of this historical match – one of the most important and famous events in the history of boxing – while also looking at the cultural and political scenario of the time.
The 5 sports movies to watch on Max listed above are all fantastic films, showing different sides of the sport while making for gripping entertainment. From thought-provoking documentaries to compelling fictional stories and exciting recent releases, there’s something for everyone here. Happy streaming!
