We previously explored 10 essential sports films across major categories; now, let’s dive into another 10 “winners” in fields ranging from tennis and bobsledding to racing and arm wrestling.
1) Tennis
Match Point (2005) is an intriguing thriller—less about the sport itself and more a psychological study of the power of money, greed, and luck. It is one of Woody Allen’s few recent films to receive universal acclaim. Other notable mentions include Wimbledon (2004), Borg vs McEnroe (2017), and Final Set (2021). However, King Richard takes the lead as a compelling biographical portrait of the Williams sisters, who dominated women’s tennis for years, and their relationship with their father. “King” Richard is credited with their rise in a world previously reserved for the wealthy and white.
Winner: King Richard (2021)
2) Bobsledding
Perhaps the only mainstream film focused on bobsledding, Cool Runnings naturally claims this category. Charming, clever, and unforgettable—if you haven’t seen it, watch it for John Candy, for the biographical element of an unlikely success story, or simply for the iconic “Eins, zwei, drei!”
Winner: Cool Runnings (1993)
3) Racing
Among a list of high-octane films like Rush (2013), Ford v Ferrari (2019), Days of Thunder (1990), and Italian Race (2016), the crown goes to the documentary Senna. It tells the story of an F1 legend and a fighter for drivers’ rights who strove to increase safety on the track, only to ironically perish in a crash himself. A man who was happiest when driving a go-kart—truly fascinating. “Alain, forgive me.”
Winner: Senna (2011)
4) Professional Wrestling (WWE)
Between comedies like Nacho Libre (2006), The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), and Fighting With My Family (2019), The Wrestler stands out as a serious study of the sacrifice, hardship, and tragedy experienced by those in one of America’s most beloved “sports.”
Winner: The Wrestler (2008)
5) Karate & Kung Fu
Drunken Master (1978) and its sequel (1994) are some of the most entertaining and comedic kung-fu films of all time. Classics like Fist of Fury (1972) and Five Deadly Venoms (1978) defined the “beat everyone until you reach the boss” era, while The Karate Kid (1984) is a cult favorite successfully revived by Cobra Kai (2018-), which perfectly balances nostalgia with modernity. Other essentials include Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Kill Bill (2003), and Ip Man (2008). Jackie Chan’s Police Story (1985) and Super Cop (1992) also deserve mention—Tarantino even cited the latter as having some of the best action scenes ever filmed. Since we placed Enter the Dragon (1973) in our MMA list for its historical significance, we’ve chosen Hero for its artistic merit. An audio-visual masterpiece with a unique storytelling style, it’s a film that demands to be seen on the big screen. Its only rival is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which paved the way for an entire genre.
Winner: Hero (2002)
6) Cycling
Breaking Away (1979) is an award-winning American coming-of-age dramedy. Other notables include Wadjda (2012), the first feature-length film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia—a story about breaking social norms—and Fellini’s Bicycle Thieves (1948), which, while not about the sport, is a pillar of film history. American Flyers (1985) and The Kid with a Bike (2011) are also worthy mentions, but Breaking Away remains the most inspiring and humorous representative.
Winner: Breaking Away (1979)
The “Niche” Sports
7) Arm Wrestling
Pulling John (2009) follows the legend John Brzenk, while Vendetta dal futuro (1986) is an Italian B-movie in the vein of Terminator meets Blade Runner featuring a karate-kicking android—don’t miss it! Elements of the latter were borrowed for the film that became synonymous with the “sport”: Over the Top. Stallone plays a truck driver arm-wrestling for extra cash, a character inspired by Brzenk, set to a soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder.
Winner: Over the Top (1987)
8) Billiards
The Hustler (1961), based on the novel and starring Paul Newman, is a multi-award-winning classic. Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986) saw Newman passing the torch to Tom Cruz, but the original takes the top spot for its role in reviving the popularity of pool in the US. Other mentions include The Baltimore Bullet (1980) and Poolhall Junkies (2002).
Winner: The Hustler (1961)
9) Golf
Happy Gilmore (1996) is one of Adam Sandler’s legendary “lightweight” comedies that managed to make the often-perceived-as-boring sport of golf interesting and hilarious. The genre is surprisingly crowded with titles like Caddyshack (1980), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), and the biopic Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004).
Winner: Happy Gilmore (1996)
10) Skateboarding
Finally, skateboarding movies were once the height of “cool.” In the 80s and 90s, these films inspired crowds of young people to take to the streets of modern cities, including Skopje. Outside the former “Ceka” store, the youth would gather on boards and BMX bikes, trying to outdo each other’s tricks. Gleaming The Cube (1989), starring heartthrob Christian Slater, was a definitive film for the 90s skate craze. Paranoid Park (2007) and Minding The Gap (2018) offer more serious sociological studies of youth culture, while Jonah Hill’s Mid90s (2018) successfully captures the alternative 90s aesthetic. However, no film did more for the global culture than Thrashin’, from an era when MTV aired skate competitions backed by thrash metal. Today, skateboarding is an Olympic sport—who could have predicted that?
Winner: Thrashin’ (1986)
This article was originally published in Macedonian.
The Underdogs and the Icons: 10 More Sports Films That Defined Genres
We previously explored 10 essential sports films across major categories; now, let’s dive into another 10 “winners” in fields ranging from tennis and bobsledding to racing and arm wrestling.
1) Tennis
Match Point (2005) is an intriguing thriller—less about the sport itself and more a psychological study of the power of money, greed, and luck. It is one of Woody Allen’s few recent films to receive universal acclaim. Other notable mentions include Wimbledon (2004), Borg vs McEnroe (2017), and Final Set (2021). However, King Richard takes the lead as a compelling biographical portrait of the Williams sisters, who dominated women’s tennis for years, and their relationship with their father. “King” Richard is credited with their rise in a world previously reserved for the wealthy and white.
Winner: King Richard (2021)
2) Bobsledding
Perhaps the only mainstream film focused on bobsledding, Cool Runnings naturally claims this category. Charming, clever, and unforgettable—if you haven’t seen it, watch it for John Candy, for the biographical element of an unlikely success story, or simply for the iconic “Eins, zwei, drei!”
Winner: Cool Runnings (1993)
3) Racing
Among a list of high-octane films like Rush (2013), Ford v Ferrari (2019), Days of Thunder (1990), and Italian Race (2016), the crown goes to the documentary Senna. It tells the story of an F1 legend and a fighter for drivers’ rights who strove to increase safety on the track, only to ironically perish in a crash himself. A man who was happiest when driving a go-kart—truly fascinating. “Alain, forgive me.”
Winner: Senna (2011)
4) Professional Wrestling (WWE)
Between comedies like Nacho Libre (2006), The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), and Fighting With My Family (2019), The Wrestler stands out as a serious study of the sacrifice, hardship, and tragedy experienced by those in one of America’s most beloved “sports.”
Winner: The Wrestler (2008)
5) Karate & Kung Fu
Drunken Master (1978) and its sequel (1994) are some of the most entertaining and comedic kung-fu films of all time. Classics like Fist of Fury (1972) and Five Deadly Venoms (1978) defined the “beat everyone until you reach the boss” era, while The Karate Kid (1984) is a cult favorite successfully revived by Cobra Kai (2018-), which perfectly balances nostalgia with modernity. Other essentials include Once Upon a Time in China (1991), Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Kill Bill (2003), and Ip Man (2008). Jackie Chan’s Police Story (1985) and Super Cop (1992) also deserve mention—Tarantino even cited the latter as having some of the best action scenes ever filmed. Since we placed Enter the Dragon (1973) in our MMA list for its historical significance, we’ve chosen Hero for its artistic merit. An audio-visual masterpiece with a unique storytelling style, it’s a film that demands to be seen on the big screen. Its only rival is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which paved the way for an entire genre.
Winner: Hero (2002)
6) Cycling
Breaking Away (1979) is an award-winning American coming-of-age dramedy. Other notables include Wadjda (2012), the first feature-length film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia—a story about breaking social norms—and Fellini’s Bicycle Thieves (1948), which, while not about the sport, is a pillar of film history. American Flyers (1985) and The Kid with a Bike (2011) are also worthy mentions, but Breaking Away remains the most inspiring and humorous representative.
Winner: Breaking Away (1979)
The “Niche” Sports
7) Arm Wrestling
Pulling John (2009) follows the legend John Brzenk, while Vendetta dal futuro (1986) is an Italian B-movie in the vein of Terminator meets Blade Runner featuring a karate-kicking android—don’t miss it! Elements of the latter were borrowed for the film that became synonymous with the “sport”: Over the Top. Stallone plays a truck driver arm-wrestling for extra cash, a character inspired by Brzenk, set to a soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder.
Winner: Over the Top (1987)
8) Billiards
The Hustler (1961), based on the novel and starring Paul Newman, is a multi-award-winning classic. Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986) saw Newman passing the torch to Tom Cruz, but the original takes the top spot for its role in reviving the popularity of pool in the US. Other mentions include The Baltimore Bullet (1980) and Poolhall Junkies (2002).
Winner: The Hustler (1961)
9) Golf
Happy Gilmore (1996) is one of Adam Sandler’s legendary “lightweight” comedies that managed to make the often-perceived-as-boring sport of golf interesting and hilarious. The genre is surprisingly crowded with titles like Caddyshack (1980), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), and the biopic Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004).
Winner: Happy Gilmore (1996)
10) Skateboarding
Finally, skateboarding movies were once the height of “cool.” In the 80s and 90s, these films inspired crowds of young people to take to the streets of modern cities, including Skopje. Outside the former “Ceka” store, the youth would gather on boards and BMX bikes, trying to outdo each other’s tricks. Gleaming The Cube (1989), starring heartthrob Christian Slater, was a definitive film for the 90s skate craze. Paranoid Park (2007) and Minding The Gap (2018) offer more serious sociological studies of youth culture, while Jonah Hill’s Mid90s (2018) successfully captures the alternative 90s aesthetic. However, no film did more for the global culture than Thrashin’, from an era when MTV aired skate competitions backed by thrash metal. Today, skateboarding is an Olympic sport—who could have predicted that?
Winner: Thrashin’ (1986)
This article was originally published in Macedonian.