It’s never too early to start getting in the Olympic spirit. With the 2024 Summer Olympics quickly approaching, now feels like an appropriate time to look back at record-breaking performances, incredible acts of teamwork, and even headline-making controversies. Unlike Olympic athletes who spend their entire lives training for such moments, we have a slightly different way of gearing up for the Games: lounging around on the couch and watching movies about the Olympics. In our opinion, the best ones are inspired by real-life athletes and events. Luckily, there are plenty of inspiring movies and documentaries about the Olympics that fit the bill.
To help you prepare for the Paris Games, we rounded up some of the best movies about the Olympics, from a biopic about one of figure skating’s biggest scandals to a wholesome telling of the “Miracle on Ice.” Read on for more inspiring movies and thrilling documentaries available to stream well before the opening ceremony, and get excited for more groundbreaking Olympic moments coming this summer.
– Additional reporting by Chandler Plante
Related: How Old Do You Have to Be to Compete in the Olympics? It Depends on the Sport
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"I, Tonya"
Margot Robbie stars as the titular Tonya Harding – a competitive figure skater accused of plotting an attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, ahead of the 1994 Winter Olympics. From the dramatic true story to the sparkling costumes, this biographical film will win you over.
Watch “I, Tonya” on Hulu.
Watch “I, Tonya” on Max.
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"Miracle"
This inspiring Disney movie tells the true story of American hockey coach Herb Brooks – the man responsible for transforming a group of hot-headed college athletes into an Olympic squad capable of beating the heavily-favored Soviet team. The incredible feat became widely known as the “Miracle on Ice.”
Watch “Miracle” on Netflix.
Watch “Miracle” on Disney+.
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"Cool Runnings"
Though partially fictionalized, this feel-good Disney movie is loosely based on the Jamaica national bobsled team’s competitive debut during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Coached by Irving Blitzer (a character based on real-life American bobsledder Howard Siler), the film follows four Jamaican bobsledders who get the chance to compete on the international level despite never having seen snow.
Watch “Cool Runnings” on Disney+.
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"Chariots of Fire"
This historical drama tells the true story of two very different runners – a devout Scottish Christian named Eric Liddell and an English Jew named Harold Abrahams – who both hope to compete in the 1924 Olympics in Paris. After years of training, both athletes are accepted to compete, and they both return home to the religiously-divided UK with gold medals, despite their very different backgrounds and motivations.
Watch “Chariots of Fire” on Amazon Prime.
Watch “Chariots of Fire” on Apple TV.
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"Unbroken"
Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 nonfiction book, “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” this film tells the story of Louis “Louie” Zamperini – a runner who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics and later became a prisoner of war during World War II. Despite the terrible conditions of the POW camps, Zamperini miraculously survived, and he went on to run a leg of the Olympic Torch relay for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, not far from where he was held.
Watch “Unbroken” on Netflix.
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"Foxcatcher"
Starring Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Steve Carrell, this drama revolves around family heir and wrestling enthusiast John du Pont – a man who used his money and influence to recruit two US Olympic gold medal-winning brothers, Mark and David Schultz, to his new wrestling team, Team Foxcatcher. With a stacked cast and plenty of drama, this one is definitely worth a watch.
Watch “Foxcatcher” on Hulu.
Watch “Foxcatcher” on Amazon Prime.
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"Eddie the Eagle"
This biographical comedy-drama tells the story of Michael Edwards, a skier who – during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary – became the first skier to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 60 years. He may not have taken home any medals, but he did become the British ski jumping record holder and a national hero, which is just as sweet as victory.
Watch “Eddie the Eagle” on Amazon Prime.
Watch “Eddie the Eagle” on Apple TV.
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"Icarus"
This 2017 documentary tells the story of Bryan Fogel, a filmmaker who initially set out to explore performance-enhancing drugs in cycling but ended up uncovering a major international scandal: a state-sponsored Olympic doping program in Russia.
Watch “Icarus” on Netflix.
HBO
"The Crash Reel"
Using 20 years of footage, “The Crash Reel” revisits the long-time rivalry between pro snowboarders Kevin Pearce and Shaun White, which took an unexpected turn when Pearce suffered a traumatic brain injury while training for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Spoiler alert: Pearce didn’t let the injury stop him from making a comeback.
Watch “The Crash Reel” on The Roku Channel.
Watch “The Crash Reel” on Amazon Prime.
YouTube
"Sonja: The White Swan"
This biopic tells the unusual story of Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie, a three-time Olympic ladies’ singles champion who went on to take Hollywood by storm. Although she’s considered the inventor of modern figure skating, Henie’s life isn’t well known, and this biopic tells her compelling story well.
Watch “Sonja: The White Swan” on Apple TV.
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Corinne Sullivan is a journalist and author. Her debut novel, “Indecent,” tells the story of a recent college grad who accepts a teaching position at a tony all-boys boarding school, only to find herself deeply obsessed with a student at the risk of her job and her sanity.
Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for POPSUGAR Health & Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she overshares on the internet, creating content about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.
