The 15 Best Wrestling Movies Of All Time, Ranked

One simply cannot make a list of movies about wrestling without mentioning "No Holds Barred." Retro Pro Wrestling mentions in their review that the movie was "released at the height of the Hulkamania boom in order to ... propel its lead actor Hulk Hogan to Hollywood megastardom." Set in a kayfabe world where the WWF is a legitimate competition, the story follows Hulk Hogan as Rip Thomas, although you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two characters. Rip is a needle mover, and he's the nemesis of rival network head Tom Brell, who tries to persuade Thomas to defect to Brell's struggling network. After bribery and intimidation fail, Brell concocts a plan to stage his own, more extreme wrestling show — the "Battle of the Tough Guys," headed by Zeus, played by Tiny Lister of "Friday." A romantic side plot is added and Rip is eventually coerced into the reason we're all here, a No Holds Barred match against Zeus.

This is by no means a great film, but it isn't a bad way to spend an evening, and a time capsule of WWF at the time, with cameos from Stan Hansen, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, and Ax from Demolition, among others. There was even a co-branded pay per view around the movie, the aptly named "No Holds Barred: The Match / The Movie." The full movie was screened, followed by a pre-taped tag team cage match featuring Hulk Hogan and Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake versus Zeus and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. The match ended with Hogan landing three leg drops on Zeus to get the pin.

The movie that some people indirectly blame for the downfall of World Championship Wrestling, "Ready to Rumble" was made during WCW's latter days. Starring David Arquette and Scott Caan and featuring a number of recognizable Hollywood stars, "Ready to Rumble" is the story of two sanitation workers/pro wrestling fans and their quest to rehabilitate the image of their hero, Jimmy King (Oliver Platt). Jimmy loses his title due to the machinations of the Vince McMahon-like Titus Sinclair, and Arquette and Caan's characters spend the movie getting King sober and back on top of WCW. The movie features cameos from a ton of WCW stars, including Goldberg, Diamond Dallas Page, and Sting. Roger Ebert said "The movie is best when it deals with professional wrestling and worst (which is most of the time) when it prefers a wheezy prefab plot to the possibilities of its subject."

In real life (or at least as real as WCW was at the time) the release of the movie paralleled a storyline with DDP, in which David Arquette, playing a self aggrandizing version of himself, became WCW champion. That run culminated in an Arquette heel turn on Page in a triple cage match at WCW Slamboree, one of the more hated booking decisions in late WCW history. Arquette later stated on Stone Cold's podcast that he "didn't think it was a good idea" to put the belt on him, but Vince Russo convinced him otherwise.

A story of hubris and redemption, "Cagefighter: Worlds Collide" features real life MMA fighter Alex Montagnani and AEW's Jon Moxley playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Moxley's Randy Stone, a pro wrestling star, is booked to fight undefeated Reiss Gibbons (Montagnani). Gibbons dismisses Stone but his fight team tells him to take the fight and give his career a boost. One knockout later, Gibbons is defeated by the pro wrestler and his career is floundering. Gibbons goes on a journey to rehab his image, and after numerous setbacks he gets the rematch he needs to get himself back on top.

Film Threat gave "Cagefighter" a 6.5/10, praising the performances of the leads and the use of real footage of MMA and AEW matches. They said it "delivered significantly more than CM Punk in a UFC fight." A fun blend of mixed martial arts and pro wrestling, "Cagefighter” premiered on FITE TV. It definitely sided with the MMA guy, but pro wrestling was never looked at as a joke, and Moxley's performance showed his character as being able to stand toe to toe with a "real" fighter. The inclusion of MMA legend Chuck Lidell and AEW wrestler Christian added to the film's legitimacy.

One of the older films on the list, this dramatic and powerful movie follows Carboni brothers Cosmo and Lenny trying to get out of the slums by way of convincing their beefy brother Victor to become a professional wrestler. There's no shortage of acting talent in this movie, with Sylvester Stallone and Armand Assante playing Victor's brothers. Cosmo is a con man and Lenny is a war vet and undertaker, and their attempts to get his brother to wrestle for money pan out at first. A neighborhood gangster then decides he wants in on the action and schedules the newcomer to a vicious bout against a local legend, Frankie the Thumper (played by the legendary Terry Funk). There's a turn in the mood of the film as well, as Stallone's con-man character starts to grow concerned for Victor's safety, while Assante's war vet leans into manipulation and willingness to exploit Victor.

Sylvester Stallone wrote and directed the movie, his first time credited with either of those roles. The film is based on a book of the same name Stallone also wrote. In an interview with AICN, he talked about optioning the rights to "Paradise Alley," saying "I optioned the screenplay of 'Paradise Alley' to a real ... how should I say this ... maggot, who put his hooks in so deep I could never get it away from him." That led to Stallone being unable to get "Paradise Alley" produced elsewhere, motivating him to write "Rocky." Oddly, because "Rocky" ended up getting released first, "Paradise Alley" was critically panned for being derivative of Stallone's later work. New Yorker reviewer Pauline Kael said, "Aren't we even expected to remember 'Rocky'? Stallone tries to work our emotions in exactly the same ways, and there's no surprise to the shamelessness this time."

"Kayfabe: A Fake Real Movie About A Fake Real Sport" flew under the radar on its release, but it won several awards on the film festival circuit. A mockumentary like "This Is Spinal Tap" or "The Office," "Kayfabe" follows a group of indie wrestlers as they experience the last few weeks of their promotion. Funny, insightful, and full of inside references for those of us who know way too much about the sport, "Kayfabe" has the cast of characters you'd expect from an early 2000s indie show — former big promotion types, jobbers, stereotypes, hard working rookies, and exhausted veterans. They all come together to tell a pretty great story that any wrestling fan would enjoy, but also give enough background for non-fans to still have a good time.

Per Canvas Chronicle, "Kayfabe" was written by a former part time pro wrestler, and the love and attention to detail shows. This is a small independent production, though, and that shows as well, with some audio issues throughout the movie. But if you're willing to deal with that, you'll be treated to the "Clerks" of the independent wrestling scene. It's well written, has a lot of heart, and has a lot of likable characters. As OWW's online review puts it, "The script is actually quite clever, and the characters have been developed by someone who has obviously been around a pro-wrestling locker room or two."

Luchador films are some of the most amazing and ridiculous products to come out of Mexico's lucha libre culture. Remezcla has a great primer on the history of the movies, but one of the biggest stars to come out of the lucha craze was El Santo. Starring in over fifty films per IMDb, Santo maintained his secret identity throughout his legendary acting and wrestling careers until a TV appearance just before his death in 1984. One of his more notable films, "Santo and the Treasure of Dracula," is a great introduction to both the Santo character and lucha films in general. Santo was in a number of "vs. monster" movies, where he did battle with everyone from Frankenstein's monster to the Mummy.

The plot is absolutely bonkers. Santo plays himself in the film, although he's also a scientist who invented a time machine. He, of course, plans to use this machine to send his assistant back in time, where she is tasked with securing Dracula's treasure, which Santo plans to use the riches to build a children's hospital. The assistant falls under Dracula's spell, leading into the very different but equally bonkers second act. A mysterious hooded figure has been keeping tabs on Santo and also plans on stealing the treasure. A wrestling match between Santo and the hooded figure's son ensues, and that leads us into the finale.

A Blu-Ray reissue restores the movie, adding a redub, color, and the nudity that was removed from the original cut. "Santo and the Treasure of Dracula" was also featured on the most recent season of "Mystery Science Theater 3000."

The mostly true story of WWE's Paige and her rise to wrestling superstardom, "Fighting with my Family" is a fantastic watch. It's definitely the best WWE-backed product out there, one that has heart and compassion while giving you a look behind the scenes of the professional wrestling behemoth and the challenge of earning a spot in the promotion. The film was written and directed by Stephen Merchant, who helped create the UK version of "The Office." It's got a similarly dry sense of humor, but with enough Americanized aspects to help fans Stateside enjoy the film regardless.

"Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, it was a critical as well as financial success. WWE promoted "Fighting With My Family" heavily during "Raw" and "SmackDown," helping ramp up anticipation prior to the film's release. The whole cast is amazing, and while Florence Pugh as Paige carries the bulk of the film on her back, there are enough side stories and group scenes to make sure the movie moves along smoothly while still sticking to a throughline. /Film called it "a special kind of uplifting sports flick, one that even non-wrestling fans can enjoy." With Paige's recent debut as Saraya in AEW, fans should have plenty of reasons to want to catch up with her backstory.

In what many consider the best performance of his legendary career, Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler." He was a megastar in the 1980s, and is now performing on weekends while working the deli counter at a grocery store during the week. Randy is old and tired, but he still loves the wrestling business. He forces himself through bloody hardcore matches, taking staple shots and blading for tiny crowds. He's in love with a stripper, Cassidy, whose age in her own line of work mirrors Robinson's. After a heart attack that should end his wrestling career, Randy tries to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter, while also attempting to convince Cassidy to settle down. Robinson is offered one last big payday in a retirement match and has to decide what's important in what is left of his career, and his life.

"The Wrestler" had to be at the top of this list. The best wrestling movie of all time, bar none. Director Darren Aronofsky and screenwriter Robert D. Siegel put together a heart wrenching look at an older performer on the indie wrestling scene, getting many beloved aging wrestlers to play versions of themselves in small parts throughout the film. The Guardian gushes over Mickey Rourke, saying he delivers "a terrifically engaging, likable and even vulnerable performance." 

Make no mistake, this is not a fun watch. This is a serious character study, showing a fictionalized version of many of our wrestling heroes after their time in the spotlight has ended. It can be difficult to sit through, and maybe one viewing will be enough for some people. As a wrestling fan, you owe it to yourself to watch "The Wrestler."