Summary

• The Wrestler sits at the top spot as Rotten Tomatoes' best sports movie, boasting a 98% positive rating.
• While the film explores universal themes, it faces tough competition from iconic sports movies like Rocky and Raging Bull.
• Some surprising omissions from the list, like Moneyball and Bull Durham, raise questions about The Wrestler's claim to the top spot.

Thanks to its definitive – if controversial – collection of the 300 best movies ever made, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has finally helped settle the question of "what is the best sports movie ever made?". The Rotten Tomatoes "Best Movies Of All Time" list, which appeared on the site in May 2024, has understandably sparked plenty of discussion, with some selections proving particularly divisive. As is the case in every genre, the site's selection for sports movies hasn't satisfied everyone – despite the popularity and enduring legacy of the highest-ranked movie.

What makes the Rotten Tomatoes list particularly interesting is that it is not just a selection of 100%-rated films from down the years. Instead, the site has used a "recommendation formula, which considers a movie’s Tomatometer rating with assistance from its Audience Score, illuminating beloved sentiment from both sides." This means that all 300 films have been chosen based on a blend of audience and critical popularity, plus some editorial input. While this means that Rotten Tomatoes' selection for the best sports movie of all time has plenty of justification, it doesn't remove all the controversy.

The Wrestler Is Rotten Tomatoes' Best Sports Movie Based On New List

It holds a 98% positive rating

Sitting at number 44 on the website's list of greatest movies of all time, The Wrestler ranks as Rotten Tomatoes' highest-placed sports movie. By default, this makes Darren Aaronofsky's 98%-rated 2008 hit the best sports movie ever made – at least, according to the Rotten Tomatoes criteria. While no movie will ever completely satisfy every observer, The Wrestler certainly has a stronger claim than many others to the title.

Starring Mickey Rourke as a jaded wrestling star, the movie is as much a melancholy meditation on family, the passage of time, and missed opportunities as it is about sport. However, as with any great sports movie, its power comes from distilling the universal lessons that sports can teach and making it clear how competition can touch every aspect of life. Both Rourke and Marissa Tomei were Oscar-nominated for their performances, while the movie won a slew of other prestigious nominations and awards. It was also positively received by the professional wrestling community, cementing its status and justifying its position on Rotten Tomatoes' list.

How The Wrestler's Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To Other Sports Movies

Other genre movies feature on the list

Although The Wrestler occupies the number one spot among sports movies, it is not the only genre hit to feature. Other selections include the Rocky sequel Creed (number 167), Ford v Ferrari (number 202), and Raging Bull (number 293). While each of these movies has its merits and justifies its inclusion, The Wrestler boasts a better Rotten Tomatoes score than all three other selected sports movies, with the next-highest sports movie on the list being Creed at 95%. However, while this criteria helps strengthen The Wrestler's claim to be the greatest sports movie ever, some surprising omissions raise questions about its legitimacy.

For instance, it is surprising that, despite Creed's inclusion, there is no room for Rocky on the list. A Best Picture winner in 1977, Rocky is widely regarded as a seminal sports movie and holds a 92% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Other surprise Rotten Tomatoes absentees include the 94%-rated Moneyball (itself a Best Picture nominee) and the Kevin Costner baseball movie Bull Durham – which holds an even more impressive 97% rating. The fact that these movies didn't even make the list raises some interesting issues around The Wrestler's coronation as the best sports movie.

Why The Wrestler Is Not The Best Sports Movie Of All Time

Its achievements are overshadowed by others

Although The Wrestler sits at the top of Rotten Tomatoes' list, it is difficult to argue that it is the unequivocal "best sports movie". There's no doubt that the movie does what all great sports films do and uses sport as a metaphor for exploring deeper aspects of the human condition. Randy's desire for personal redemption in the ring is deeply affecting and made all the more powerful by the wider drama in the story. However, while The Wrestler explores these themes effectively, other movies arguably do it better and more originally.

With such strong competition, it's difficult to say that The Wrestler deserves to be ranked so far ahead of its genre peers

Although The Wrestler is more tragic and more subtle, it clearly owes a lot to the redemption arc explored in Rocky. Like Balboa, Randy has been given one more shot at the big time, and struggles to balance his ambition with personal relationships and demons. The movie's darker aspects are also more ably explored in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, which benefits from being inspired by the true story of boxer Jake LaMotta. With such strong competition, it's difficult to say that The Wrestler deserves to be ranked so far ahead of its genre peers – even if it has a superior Rotten Tomatoes critics' score.