Best On Netflix

The 17 Sports Movies On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg

Published Jan. 29, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET

collage of The Fighter, Miracle, and 42 — Ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores!Photo: Everett Collection; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

Mavericks baseball team in 'The Battered Bastards of Baseball' — ***The Battered Bastards of Baseball***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Who doesn't love a good underdog story? *The Battered Bastards of Baseball* follows the true story of the Portland Mavericks, an independent minor league baseball team owned by actor Bing Russell. A feel-good story with 1970s flair, *The Battered Bastards of Baseball* is a sports movie you don't want to miss.
[Stream The Battered Bastards of Baseball on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Football team cheering in 'The 4th Company' — ***The 4th Company***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
American football movies are easy to find, but a Mexican football movie? Those are few and far between. This Netflix Original tells the story of Zambrano, a juvenile offender who joins the football (not futbol) team at Santa Martha prison. Zambrano quickly learns that the team doubles as an enforcer squad for the prison's corrupt administration, and the revelation prompts him to question his own innocence.
[Stream The 4th Company on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Football player in 'Undefeated' — ***Undefeated***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
*Undefeated* tells the story of the Manassas Tigers, a football team in inner-city Memphis, during the 2009 season. After losing practically every game in recent memory, the Tigers were poised to win their first playoff game in 110 years -- but drama on and off the field threatened to keep them from their goal. Were they successful? Follow along with the Tigers' season in this fast-paced documentary.
[Stream Undefeated on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Footage of Ayrton Senna in 1990s in 'Senna' — ***Senna***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
As the title suggests, this 2010 documentary tells the story of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian motorsport champion who tragically died in an accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Before his death, Senna won three world championships, and he has since become recognized as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. Through archival and home video footage, Asif Kapadia's doc gives viewers an inside look into Senna's personal life, career, and untimely death that any auto fan will enjoy.
[Stream Senna on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

Mark Wahlberg in 'The Fighter' — ***The Fighter***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Arguably the most critically-appreciated film on this list (not to disparage *Happy Gilmore*), *The Fighter* follows Micky (Mark Wahlberg), a professional boxer, and his half-brother Dicky (Christian Bale). *The Fighter* features its fair share of intense fight scenes, but the real drama comes from the brothers' relationship, which is complicated by Dicky's drug addiction and Mickey's ego. With great supporting turns from Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, this boxing flick is one you won't want to miss.
[Stream The Fighter on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Usain Bolt in 'I Am Bolt' documentary — ***I Am Bolt***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be really, really, *really* fast? This riveting doc follows Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's rapid rise to Olympic dominance and features interviews with famous athletes like Serena Williams, Pele, and Neymar to better understand what it's like to be a world-class athlete.
[Stream I Am Bolt on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

Female wrestler in 'First Match' — ***First Match***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Elvire Emanuelle stars as Mo, a high school girl who has spent her entire life in foster homes in Brooklyn. When Mo's father returns from prison, she tries to reconnect with him by joining the all-boys' wrestling team -- a task that is much easier said than done.
[Stream First Match on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Priyanka Chopra boxes in 'Mary Kom' — ***Mary Kom***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Before she was *Quantico*'s Alex Parrish, Priyanka Chopra was Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, a real-life Indian boxer. This 2014 Indian biopic follows Priyanka's Kom as she trains to become a world champion boxer, an accomplishment that she (spoiler!) eventually reaches. Of course, there are more than a few obstacles to overcome along the way, particularly her family's poverty, but it's nothing Kom and her left hook can't handle.
[Stream Mary Kom on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

Liev Schreiber in a hockey uniform in 'Goon' — ***Goon***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
In the mood for a lighter sports movie? Check out *Goon* a Canadian comedy about a dim-witted guy named Doug (Sean William Scott) who gets hired as an enforcer for a minor league hockey team. As Doug becomes more respected, he finds himself on the wrong side of hockey veteran Rhea (Liev Schreiber), who promises to mess Doug the ef up if they ever meet on the ice. It probably won't surprise you to learn that they do eventually meet on the ice, and, as expected, shit hits the fan.
[StreamGoon on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

The U.S. hockey team in 'Miracle' — ***Miracle***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
*Miracle* is truly the perfect movie. It has everything: Kurt Russell, political importance, and some damn good hockey sequences. The Cold War may be over, but the United States' relationship with Russia is as rocky as ever, so now is the perfect time to watch this great sports flick.
[Stream Miracle on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson in '42' — 42
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
Jackie Robinson's story came to life in 42, Brian Helgeland's biopic about the fearless baseball player. As the movie explains, breaking down the color barrier in the MLB was anything but easy, and it took years for fans and the league's management accept Robinson's talent. 42 tells the story of one career breakthrough, but it also features another: Chadwick Boseman got his big break as Number 42 himself. Look how far you've come, Black Panther.
[Stream 42 on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Simon Baker holds a surfboard in 'Breath' — ***Breath***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
*The Mentalist* takes on a new challenge in the 2017 indie *Breath*. Starring and directed by Simon Baker, *Breath* follows two young surfers who form an unlikely friendship with an older rider. The film was nominated for eight AACTA awards (the Australian counterpart to the Oscars), winning two, including Best Supporting Actor for Baker.
[Stream Breath on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

Johnny Simmons plays baseball in 'The Phenom' — ***The Phenom***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
After a rough rookie showing, major-league pitcher Hopper Gibson is sent down to the minors, where he turns to an unorthodox sports psychologist for help. As the two develop a friendship, Hopper realizes that his problems stem from a negative relationship with his overbearing father, and he begins to turn his career (and their relationship) around.
[Stream The Phenom on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Diane Lane pets a horse in 'Secretariat' — ***Secretariat***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 63%
Few films capture the drama of horse racing quite like *Secretariat*, Disney's take on the story of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. The film stars Diane Lane as Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery and John Malkovich as trainer Laucien Lauren, both of who work tirelessly to ensure that the horse succeeds. What follows is a thrilling (albeit slightly sanitized) tale that racing -- and animal -- fans are bound to love.
[Stream Secretariat on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Adam Sandler screams at a golf ball in 'Happy Gilmore' — ***Happy Gilmore***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 61%
How do you talk about golf movies without mentioning *Happy Gilmore*, the Adam Sandler classic? Sandler stars as a hockey fan named Happy who decides he's going to win the PGA tournament in order to help his grandmother save her home. *Happy Gilmore* hit theaters over 20 years ago, but the unconventional golfer (and his now-iconic swing) will always have a special place in our hearts.
[Stream Happy Gilmore on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Jake Gyllenhaal boxes in 'Southpaw' — ***Southpaw***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
Watching Jake Gyllenhaal take on the story of Billy "The Great" Hope, reigning Junior Middleweight Boxing Champion of the world, is just pure fun. When tragedy strikes, Billy hits rock bottom, but a rough-and-tumble boxing mentor coaches him back to greatness and prepares him for the toughest fight yet: winning back his daughter's trust.
[Stream Southpaw on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams in 'Trouble with the Curve' — ***Trouble With the Curve***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 51%
A sports movie starring Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams? Sign us up. This baseball movie follows a workaholic lawyer, Mickey (Adams), who joins her aging father (Clint Eastwood) on a scouting trip for the Atlanta Braves. Along the way, they meet Johnny (Timberlake), a scout for the Red Sox, who immediately takes an interest in Mickey. Johnny and Mickey get close, but a controversial player soon causes rifts between them -- and more importantly, threatens to end her father's career.
[Stream Trouble With the Curve on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

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What better way to celebrate Super Bowl LIII than with a sports movie marathon? If you’re looking to binge-watch your way through the sports world, you’d be hard pressed to find a more complete library than Netflix’s, which features a movie for practically every sport out there (except for tennis. Sorry, Serena). No matter your court, field, ring, or rink preference, Netflix has something available to stream to help you get your head in the game.

Are you gearing up for the Patriots-Rams showdown? Check out football movies like Undefeated and The 4th Company, a Mexican Netflix Original. Craving the dog days of summertime baseball? Netflix has dozens of baseball flicks available to stream, including Chadwick Boseman’s 42, The Phenom, and underappreciated gem Trouble With the Curve. If you’re more of a thrill seeker, don’t miss Senna, a fast-paced documentary about the legendary Formula One racer Ayrton Senna, and Secretariat, a must-see film about the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Regardless of your team allegiance and streaming needs, Netflix’s sports offerings will make you feel like you just smoked the best team in the country to win the National Championship by 28.

With so many great titles to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but we’re here to help. We went through Netflix’s sports movies and found the best of the best. These are the 17 best sports movies on Netflix, ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.