Best sport and athlete documentaries & films
by GazTruman | created - 21 Jan 2021 | updated - 6 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1.
30 for 30 (2009– )
Episode:
Slaying the Badger
(2014)
TV-G | 79 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France. In this engrossing documentary, LeMond looks back at the pivotal 1986 Tour, ... See full summary »
Director: John Dower | Stars: Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond
Votes: 908
2. The Test: A New Era for Australia's Team (2020–2024)
TV-14 | 52 min | Documentary, Sport
The Australian Mens Cricket Team has been rocked by a cheating scandal, and now they must rebuild their culture and reclaim their status as the world's number one side.
Stars: Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Gerard Whateley
Votes: 3,527
3. The Australian Dream (2019)
105 min | Documentary, Drama, Sport
"The Australian Dream" is a theatrical feature documentary that uses the remarkable and inspirational story of AFL legend Adam Goodes as the prism through which to tell a deeper, more powerful story about race, identity, and belonging.
Director: Daniel Gordon | Stars: Adam Goodes, Stan Grant, Nova Peris, Gilbert McAdam
Votes: 947
4.
30 for 30 (2009– )
Episode:
The Two Escobars
(2010)
TV-G | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The rise of Colombian soccer is attributed to the influx of drug money into the sport by Pablo Escobar and the other drug cartels. However, the team's swift decline after Escobar's death results in the murder of star player Andres Escobar.
Directors: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist | Stars: María Ester Escobar, Francisco Maturana, Alexis García V., Jaime Gaviria Gómez
Votes: 3,445
5. Diego Maradona (2019)
TV-14 | 130 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s.
Director: Asif Kapadia | Stars: Diego Maradona, Dalma Maradona, Pelé, Corrado Ferlaino
Votes: 18,264
6. Athlete A (2020)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Crime, Sport
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts like Maggie Nichols.
Directors: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk | Stars: Maggie Nichols, Gina Nichols, John Nichols, Steve Berta
Votes: 12,427
7. 42 (2013)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie
Votes: 102,759 | Gross: $95.00M
8. Valley Uprising (2014)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary
In the shady campgrounds of Yosemite valley, climbers carved out a counterculture lifestyle of dumpster-diving and wild parties that clashed with the conservative values of the National Park Service.
Directors: Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, Josh Lowell | Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Alex Honnold, Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins
Votes: 6,277
9. The Dawn Wall (2017)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
In an unbelievable story of perseverance, free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempt to scale the impossible 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan.
Directors: Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer | Stars: John Branch, Tommy Caldwell, Kevin Jorgeson
Votes: 21,240 | Gross: $1.08M
10. Free Solo (2018)
PG-13 | 100 min | Documentary, Adventure, Sport
Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Cheyne Lempe
Votes: 77,466 | Gross: $17.54M
11. Gleason (2016)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography
After he is diagnosed with ALS, former professional football player Steve Gleason begins making a video diary for his unborn son, as he, his wife, and their friends and family work to raise money for ALS patients as his disease progresses.
Director: Clay Tweel | Stars: Steve Gleason, Mike Gleason, Scott Fujita, Mike McKenzie
Votes: 3,085 | Gross: $0.59M
12. Icarus (2017)
TV-MA | 120 min | Documentary, Sport
When Bryan sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller.
Director: Bryan Fogel | Stars: Bryan Fogel, Dave Zabriskie, Don Catlin, Grigory Rodchenkov
Votes: 54,728
13. The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (2014)
Not Rated | 89 min | Documentary, Adventure, History
A famous prison escape sparks the idea for a cult-like race that has seen only 10 finishers in its first 25 years. This award-winning, oddly inspiring, and wildly funny documentary reveals the sports world's most guarded secret.
Directors: Annika Iltis, Timothy James Kane | Star: Lazarus Lake
Votes: 5,771
14. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake (2015)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
A fallen professional wrestling superstar battles his past demons in a struggle to reclaim his life and the family that has given up on him.
Director: Steve Yu | Stars: Steve Austin, Louie Benson, Joe Case, Adam Copeland
Votes: 3,340
15. All This Mayhem (2014)
Not Rated | 104 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Brothers Tas and Ben Pappas become the kings of professional skateboarding, but their hedonistic ways lead to a hard fall from grace.
Director: Eddie Martin | Stars: Tas Pappas, Ben Pappas, Tommy Caudill, Lance Conklin
Votes: 3,787
16. The Last Dance (2020)
TV-MA | 49 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Led by Michael Jordan, the 1990s Chicago Bulls establish themselves as one of the most notable dynasties in sports history.
Stars: Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, David Aldridge
Votes: 152,337
17. McConkey (2013)
TV-14 | 100 min | Documentary, Action, Adventure
An examination of the legacy one athlete left to the progression of his sports.
Directors: Rob Bruce, Scott Gaffney, Murray Wais, Steve Winter, David Zieff | Stars: Ingrid Backstrom, Andreas Barkhall, Mark Broderick, Rob Bruce
Votes: 869
18. When Football Banned Women (2017 TV Movie)
47 min | Documentary, History, Sport
The story of the pioneering Dick Kerr Ladies football team which rose to prominence during the First World War.
Director: Kelly Close | Stars: Clare Balding, Gillian Coulthard, Siobhan Chamberlain, Everton Ladies F.C.
Votes: 12
19. Kicking & Screaming (1995– )
Documentary, Sport
A detailed history of football in Britain from it's invention to present.
Stars: Bobby Robson, Jack Charlton, Nigel Clarke, Bobby Charlton
Votes: 7
20. Skid Row Marathon (2017)
85 min | Documentary
A criminal court judge starts a running club on L.A.'s skid row, where he trains a motley group of homeless people to run international marathons.
Director: Mark Hayes | Stars: David Askew, Joan Bys, Rafael Cabrera, Mody Diop
Votes: 452
21. Take Us Home: Leeds United (2019–2020)
42 min | Documentary, Sport
English football's 'fallen giant', Leeds United, starts a journey to win promotion back to the Premier League. New owner Andrea Radrizzani has recruited a world-class head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, to lead the team back to the promised land.
Stars: Russell Crowe, Marcelo Bielsa, Mateusz Klich, Liam Cooper
Votes: 2,248
22. Kipchoge: The Last Milestone (2021)
PG-13 | 87 min | Documentary, Sport
A man's struggle against himself and against time. Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge dreams of completing a marathon distance of less than two hours. An achievement that is considered ... See full summary »
Director: Jake Scott | Star: Eliud Kipchoge
Votes: 773
23.
Top Gear (2002–2022)
Episode:
Episode #31.1
(2021)
TV-MA | Adventure, Sport, Talk-Show
Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness head to the British Grand Prix for a showdown with a trio of F1's finest drivers. Elsewhere, Paddy pays tribute to the legendary Eddie Kidd OBE.
Stars: Andrew Flintoff, Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness, Eddie Kidd
Votes: 166
24. The Redeem Team (2022)
TV-MA | 97 min | Documentary, History, Sport
Follows the story of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball team and how "The Redeem Team" set a new standard for American basketball.
Director: Jon Weinbach | Stars: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer
Votes: 11,276
25. The Other Final (2003)
79 min | Documentary, Sport
Disappointed with the failure of his country's football team on their 2002 World Cup campaign, a Dutch fan decides to organize a football match between the two lowest FIFA-ranking teams - ... See full summary »
Director: Johan Kramer | Stars: Matthijs de Jongh, Stephen Bennett, Dinesh Chhetri, Wangay Dorji
Votes: 580
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