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The 16 Best Sports Documentaries of All Time

by YPB Team

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 — ranked #11
    O.J.: Made in America
    Ezra Edelman's Oscar-winning five-part study of O.J. Simpson, fame, race and America.
    1000pts
  2. Tyson — ranked #22
    Tyson
    James Toback's raw 2008 first-person portrait of boxer Mike Tyson.
    756pts
  3. Hoop Dreams — ranked #33
    Hoop Dreams
    Steve James' 1994 epic following two Chicago teens chasing NBA dreams over five years.
    665pts
  4. Touching the Void — ranked #44
    Touching the Void
    Harrowing 2003 reconstruction of a near-fatal mountaineering accident in the Andes.
    517pts
  5. Fire in Babylon — ranked #55
    Fire in Babylon
    The story of the dominant West Indies cricket team that conquered the world in the 1970s and 80s.
    517pts
  6. Icarus — ranked #66
    Icarus
    Bryan Fogel's Oscar-winning exposé of Russia's state-sponsored doping program.
    517pts
  7. Diego Maradona — ranked #77
    Diego Maradona
    Asif Kapadia's intimate look at the footballing genius during his turbulent Napoli years.
    517pts
  8. Murderball — ranked #88
    Murderball
    Visceral 2005 film about the fierce world of full-contact wheelchair rugby.
    517pts
  9. When We Were Kings — ranked #99
    When We Were Kings
    Oscar-winning chronicle of the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
    423pts
  10. Pumping Iron — ranked #1010
    Pumping Iron
    The 1977 cult classic that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star, chronicling pro bodybuilding.
    423pts
  11. Dogtown and Z-Boys — ranked #1111
    Dogtown and Z-Boys
    Stacy Peralta's energetic history of the Zephyr skateboarding team that revolutionized the sport.
    423pts
  12. Undefeated — ranked #1212
    Undefeated
    Oscar-winning 2011 story of an underdog high-school football team in Memphis.
    423pts
  13. Senna — ranked #1313
    Senna
    Asif Kapadia's gripping portrait of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna told through archive footage.
    310pts
  14. The Last Dance — ranked #1414
    The Last Dance
    ESPN's ten-part series on Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls dynasty.
    310pts
  15. Free Solo — ranked #1515
    Free Solo
    Oscar-winning film following Alex Honnold's ropeless climb of El Capitan.
    310pts
  16. The Two Escobars — ranked #1616
    The Two Escobars
    ESPN 30 for 30 film linking Colombian soccer and Pablo Escobar's drug empire.
    310pts

#movies654#sports648#documentary11#all-time321

Comments

Built entirely from archive footage with no talking heads, Senna competes with Hoop Dreams, When We Were Kings and The Last Dance: https://youpick.best/articles/senna-vs-prost-ranked https://youpick.best/articles/mike-tyson-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
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