The Best Sports Films & Shows To Fill The Olympics-Shaped Hole In Your life
The Paris Olympics wrapped yesterday and what a year it was, with records being broken, star athletes making their mark and a fair few golds for Team GB. But you can keep the Olympic fever going with our list of some of the best sports-themed documentaries, films, and TV shows. Catch up with gymnast superstar Simone Biles in her new Netflix documentary, or delve into an athlete love triangle in the Zendaya-starring Challengers.
Beckham
This Netflix documentary, which released late last year, lifted the lid on one of the world’s most famous sporting figures. Becks looks back on his life and career, from his days tearing up the Premier League under Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, to his high highs and low lows playing for England, and his eventual retirement after playing for LA Galaxy. Along for the ride is Victoria Beckham, who offers her own insight into their relationship, family life and how David managed to get through intense media attention and tabloid scrutiny to become an England legend like no other.
Watch on: Netflix
Break Point
Break Point is an intense look at the world of tennis and its up-and-coming players as they compete to become the best of the best on the ATP and WTA tours and try and break at Grand Slams. You won’t find Djokovic and Murray here though- it’s firmly focused on the younger generation of stars shaping up to be the next big names in tennis. Like other shows of its kind, it follows the players both on and off the court as they battle other players and their own doubts, dealing with setbacks and sudden bursts in the spotlight. Players featured include Nick Kyrigos, Paula Badosa, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff.
Watch on: Netflix
Simone Biles: Rising
One of the stars of this year’s Olympics and of sport in general, Simone Biles has stunned the gymnastics world and secured gold multiple times. This Netflix doc looks at how she began to have difficulties around the time of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, withdrawing from events and shocking much of the media. The reason was her own mental health, which she would explain was worsening and that she needed time off to fix. Since then, Biles has got herself back in the game and again become a gold medal sensation in Paris- but Simone Biles: Rising follows how she got back from one of the most difficult moments of her career and once again found success
Watch on: Netflix
Challengers
Tennis got a renewed surge of interest this year with the release of Challengers, not least because it starred Emmy winner and global superstar Zendaya. It follows a trio of tennis players, with the Euphoria actress playing Tashi Duncan, a former pro athlete who withdrew from her career after a serious injury. She’s caught in a developing love triangle with her husband and down-on-his-luck tennis champ, Art (Mike Faist), and her ex-boyfriend and fellow player, Patrick (Josh O’Connor). She decides to sign both up to fight it out in a tennis challenger match, and there’s plenty of stylishly shot tennis action. However, it’s definitely first and foremost about the three’s love triangle relationship.
Watch on: Apple TV
Bend It Like Beckham
Bend it Like Beckham may have been released back in 2002, but it remains popular: the feel-good sports comedy helped to launch Kiera Knightley’s career and is a lot of fun. It follows the young Jess Bharma (Pariminder Nagra[profile-link]), who, more than anything, wishes she could be a professional footballer. However, her Sikh Indian parents aren’t overly thrilled at the prospect and would much rather she pursue more academic pursuits like law and eventually get married. She crosses paths with Jules (Knightley), who also plays football and plays in a local women’s league team, and invites her to try out for the team. The two become firm friends, and despite the obstacles and pressure they face from their families and others, both strive to play like Beckham.
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
Chariots of Fire
There aren’t many great movies about the Olympics, but standing above most sports dramas is the iconic Chariots of Fire, and there’s no better time to revisit it than this year, given it’s set 100 years ago at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. It tells the true story of two British athletes, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, who, despite their different faiths, share a love of running. There are prejudices and hardships that the two have to overcome, with Harold ([profile-link]Ben Cross) facing anti-Semitism for his Jewish beliefs and Eric (Ian Charleson) becoming distant from his sweetheart Sybil due to his running obsession. It’s been copied and spoofed hundreds of times, but it and it’s uplifting Vangelis score is still worth it.
Watch it on: Disney+
The Iron Claw
One of 2023’s best and most underrated films, The Iron Claw delves into the world of professional wrestling and makes it as emotional and heart-wrenching as any great sports drama. Based on a true story, it follows three members of the Von Erichs family, sons Kevin, Kerry, David and Mike, who all become pro wrestlers. Their father, Fritz, runs a wrestling company and has big expectations for them, but meeting his standards is not easy. Zac Efron leads as Kevin, with The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White[profile-link] and Where The Crawdads Sing’s [profile-link]Harris Dickinson playing Kerry and David. If you thought pro wrestling couldn’t be a tear-jerker, think again.
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso came to an end last year, but if you’ve not had a chance to watch it yet and have been thinking about it, it’s time to dive in. Starring Jason Sudeikis as the titular Ted Lasso, an American sports coach who’s brought in to oversee an English football club, it received praise and a devoted following for its light-hearted depiction of English football and what it means to fans and players. The very upbeat, undeniably American Ted is assigned to coach AFC Richmond, and next to no one expects him to succeed. Its owner, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), hopes he’ll fail miserably in order to get back at her husband, but Ted’s ability to see past cynicism and connect to the players proves to be a surprising success.
Watch on: Apple TV+
Fifteen Love
Challengers became a social media sensation, but Amazon Prime’s Fifteen-Love is another worthwhile tennis drama to get into and binge on now. Similar to that film, Fifteen-Love focuses on a young tennis talent who suffers a series injury in the semi-finals of the French Open. Justine (Ella Lily Hyland) appears to move on despite the devastating incident, but five years later she unexpectedly makes a serious accusation toward her former coach, Glenn (Poldark star Aidan Turner). The two had seemed like a dream, dynamite duo when she was playing, but Justine’s claims change everything, in a thrilling drama all about what happens when push sporting success to the limit.
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video