14 Movies About the Olympics That'll Get You Excited For Paris 2024
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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
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"Without Limits"
This uplifting film follows the relationship between record-breaking distance runner Steve Prefontaine and his coach Bill Bowerman, who later went on to co-found Nike. Though the former University of Oregon track star initially clashed with Bowerman after qualifying for the 1972 Olympics in Munich, the two ended up developing an unbreakable bond. Definitely have the tissues ready for this one.
Watch "Without Limits" on Tubi.
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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.
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"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.
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"At the Heart of Gold"
This devastating documentary looks back at the 2016 USA Gymnastics scandal that revealed national team doctor Larry Nassar had been sexually abusing young athletes. Featuring interviews with dozens of survivors, "At the Heart of Gold" explores Nassar's abuse and how it was able to persist for so long.
Watch "At the Heart of Gold" on Hulu.
Watch "At the Heart of Gold" on Max.
Watch "At the Heart of Gold" on Amazon Prime.
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"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.
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"The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar"
Based on her book of the same name, this film chronicles the sacrifices Simone Biles made and the roadblocks she faced on her way to becoming the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
Watch "The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar" on Amazon Prime.
"The Last Gold"
"The Last Gold" revolves around the 1976 US women's relay swim team, which managed to unexpectedly beat East Germany in the final race at the Montreal Olympics and take home gold. What's even more amazing: those East German athletes were all using performance-enhancing drugs.
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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.