From Cool Runnings to The Cutting Edge, go for the gold with these films about the Olympics.
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Every two years, folks all around the world tune in to watch the Olympics. Depending on the season (including this year's 2024 Paris Summer Olympics), athletes gather to participate in various sporting events, showcasing their incredible talent. What's more, viewers get together to host watch parties, look at all the Olympic fashion and react to their favorite stars vying for the gold. But while waiting to see which country will take home the most medals, folks may want to experience other kinds of glory with the best Olympic movies.
Just like real-life sports, the films we curated evoke a wide range of emotions. Some are biopics depicting history-making gymnasts, while others showcase devastating Olympic scandals. If based-on-a-true-story isn't your speed, there are fictional comedies that will have you cheering on the main characters as they go on a quest for recognition in the sport they are best at. And if that's not enough, these movies will have you cheering from the stands (or rather, from the comfort of your couch) as each athlete wins and gains pride throughout the entire world.
Ready to get in on the competition? Grab some snacks and settle in, because these Olympic films are here to inspire and excite you.
1
Miracle (2004)
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Kurt Russell stars in the 2004 film that follows the true story of the U.S. men's ice hockey team as they secured the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. The team seemingly wasn't meant to win over the heavily favored team from the Soviet Union, but in a turn of events, they clinched the title and Olympic glory.
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2
I, Tonya (2017)
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Some folks may remember the feud between figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. Well, Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan and Alison Janney all star in a movie that semi-documents the events leading up to that fateful moment, along with some unique twists.
RELATED: Where Is Tonya Harding Now?
3
Cool Runnings (1993)
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Based on the incredible true story, Cool Runnings follows four Jamaican athletes as they fight their way to becoming bobsled racers at the Winter Olympics. But as they never grew up participating in winter sports, they invest in the help of an ex-champion American bobsledder to help them try and find glory.
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4
The Gabby Douglas Story (2014)
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This biopic from the Lifetime Network follows the story of U.S. Olympian Gabby Douglas, the first Black gymnast to become the individual all-around champion in the 2012 London Olympics. She also became the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in both the individual and team competitions at the same Olympics, which blazed a trail for other gymnasts to strive for similar success.
RELATED: Your Favorite Olympic Gymnasts, Then And Now
5
The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (2018)
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Four years after Lifetime released their biopic on Gabby Douglas, they celebrated Olympic gymnast Simone Biles' rise to the top at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, viewers can witness her story as she became the most decorated gymnast in history with seven Olympic medals.
RELATED: Simone Biles on Mental Health
6
Race (2016)
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This movie explores the true story of African-American athlete Jesse Owens. He won a record-breaking four gold medals while participating in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, but it didn't come without heartbreaking racial tensions and discrimination.
RELATED: The Most Iconic Olympic Moments
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7
Munich (2005)
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In 1972, the world watched an incident involving the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Summer Olympics. This historical film from Steven Spielberg replays the fateful event, including the aftermath of tracking down the perpetrators.
8
Eddie the Eagle (2015)
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Starring Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, the 2016 biographical film follows British skier Michael "Eddie" Edwards. He becomes the first athlete to represent Great Britain in the ski jumping event at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics since 1926, gaining international attention in ways he didn't see coming.
9
Foxcatcher (2014)
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Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell star in the Oscar-nominated film following the true story of millionaire E.I. du Pont and 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic gold medalists Mark and David Schultz. As du Pont hires the wrestling siblings to help coach other athletes striving for success in the next Olympics in Seoul, Korea, it also comes with a detrimental sacrifice.
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10
Chariots of Fire (1981)
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Telling the story of two British athletes as they participate in the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, Chariots of Fire explores their friendship despite being raised in two separate religions. The heartwarming drama won four Academy Awards in 1981, and it introduced a young Kenneth Branagh in his movie debut.
11
The Boys in the Boat (2022)
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Based on the 2013 book of the same name, The Boys in the Boat follows the rowing team hailing from the University of Washington in the 1930s. Their goal is to compete in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, and it comes with trials and tribulations, including world tensions that would later come to light ahead of World War II.
12
Prefontaine (1997)
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This American biographical film sees Jared Leto starring as long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine. Although deemed physically too small to participate in the majority of sport, his determination leads him to make Team USA and compete in both the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.
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13
The Cutting Edge (1992)
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The beloved romantic comedy follows a former ice hockey player and temperamental figure skater as they fight for a chance in the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics. The duo become an unlikely ice skating pair, and while their working relationship starts out rather volatile, it eventually turns romantic in a heartwarming way.
14
American Anthem (1986)
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This American sports drama film explores the fictional story of Steve Tavere. A rising star in both football and gymnastics, he sees no way back to potential glory after breaking his arm. As he heads back home and works at his dad's bike shop, he meets Julie, a gymnast who's now training at his old gym. This leads him to find joy in the sport he once loved and try to get on the Olympic team.
15
Richard Jewell (2019)
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The Clint Eastwood-directed biographical movie is based on a Vanity Fair article and follows a security guard as he discovers a bomb during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. As he tells authorities to go and defuse it, he ends up being wrongfully accused of planting the device himself.
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16
Downhill Racer (1969)
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Based on the novel of the same name, Robert Redford and Gene Hackman star in this movie about a downhill skier who becomes a member of the U.S. Ski Team. He not only competes in a number of international skiing competitions, the movie's heartwarming story received positive reviews from critics at the time of its release.
17
The Swimmers (2022)
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Starring real-life sisters Natalie and Manal Issa, this film explores the coming-of-age story of Syrian refugees Yusra and Sarah Mardini. As the two escape the country on a dinghy and help 18 other refugees safely across the Aegean sea, Yusra's talent for swimming leads her on a journey to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Adrianna Freedman
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
