The 16 Best Sports Documentaries of All Time

From courtroom-sized epics to white-knuckle survival tales, these films turn real athletes and unlikely underdogs into unforgettable drama. Which one hits hardest?

1

O.J.: Made in America

Ezra Edelman's Oscar-winning five-part study of O.J. Simpson, fame, race and America.

1000pts

2

Tyson

James Toback's raw 2008 first-person portrait of boxer Mike Tyson.

838pts

3

Hoop Dreams

Steve James' 1994 epic following two Chicago teens chasing NBA dreams over five years.

778pts

4

Touching the Void

Harrowing 2003 reconstruction of a near-fatal mountaineering accident in the Andes.

681pts

5

Fire in Babylon

The story of the dominant West Indies cricket team that conquered the world in the 1970s and 80s.

681pts

6

Icarus

Bryan Fogel's Oscar-winning exposé of Russia's state-sponsored doping program.

681pts

7

Diego Maradona

Asif Kapadia's intimate look at the footballing genius during his turbulent Napoli years.

681pts

8

Murderball

Visceral 2005 film about the fierce world of full-contact wheelchair rugby.

681pts

9

When We Were Kings

Oscar-winning chronicle of the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

619pts

10

Pumping Iron

The 1977 cult classic that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star, chronicling pro bodybuilding.

619pts

11

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Stacy Peralta's energetic history of the Zephyr skateboarding team that revolutionized the sport.

619pts

12

Undefeated

Oscar-winning 2011 story of an underdog high-school football team in Memphis.

619pts

13

Senna

Asif Kapadia's gripping portrait of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna told through archive footage.

545pts

14

The Last Dance

ESPN's ten-part series on Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty.

545pts

15

Free Solo

Oscar-winning film following Alex Honnold's ropeless climb of El Capitan.

545pts

16

The Two Escobars

ESPN 30 for 30 film linking Colombian soccer and Pablo Escobar's drug empire.

545pts