25 best sports movies, ranked by the dust in your eye

3. Warrior (2011)

Directed by Gavin O’Connor
Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte

It may seem questionable to place another film that deals with fighting above Rocky on a list of sports movies. After all, Rocky is an indelible piece of pop culture and Warrior is a well-reviewed flop. But as anyone is seen both films will likely attest, Warrior is the more emotionally overwhelming film.

The film is set in the world of mixed martial arts and follows the slow reacquainting of the Conlon family. Having recently left the military under questionable circumstances, Tommy (Hardy) enters into a grueling MMA tournament in hopes of securing a $5 million payday. To train him, Tommy enlists his estranged father Patty (Nolte), a recovering alcoholic desperate to redeem himself. Simultaneously, Tommy’s estranged older brother Brendan (Edgerton) enters the same tournament in hopes of getting out from under significant debt.

Over the course the film, the three Conlon men are forced to end their estrangement. And that process, which involves dealing with decades of hurt and resentment, is almost as bruising as the film’s well-choreographed action sequences. The painful history between the trio is so explosive that there is a palpable tension in their every confrontation. And their ability to inflict considerable harm on one another is wince-inducing.

Consequently, when Warrior sees fit to leave the Conlons brothers the last two contestants in the tournament, the moment is profoundly tense. By that point, it’s unclear whether the two siblings will try to kill one another or try and embrace forgiveness. Suffice it to say, their ultimate decision is one that is perfectly calibrated to leave the viewer utterly devastated.