Must-watch Olympic movies

The picks are more recent, not the usual age-old favourites that get counted every time the theme is the Olympics

Any list of must-watch Olympic movies must invariably start with Chariots of Fire and must end with Munich. But I presume most of us have seen both these classics over the years. That is why my picks for today are more recent — not the usual age-old favourites that get counted every time the theme is the Olympics. 
 

My first must-watch is the 2014 release, The Gabby Douglas Story. This biopic follows US Olympian Gabby Douglas, the first Black gymnast to become the individual all-around champion in the 2012 London Olympics. She also became the first US gymnast to win gold in both the individual and team competitions at the same Olympics, which blazed a trail for other Black gymnasts to strive for similar success. This success story triggered the 2018 release, The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar, which celebrates Olympic gymnast Simone Biles’ rise to the top at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Biles has become the most decorated gymnast in history with seven Olympic medals. Both movies are just fabulous. Riveting. Powerful narrations. 
 

The 2016 release Race is the next on my must-watch  list. Race explores the true story of African-American athlete Jesse Owens. He won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, but his achievements didn't come without heartbreaking racial tensions and discrimination. The film is brilliantly directed and acted, with a strong, gripping script.

Another 2016 release on my list is Eddie The Eagle.  Starring Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, the biographical film follows British skier Michael “Eddie” Edwards. He became the first athlete to represent Great Britain in the ski jumping event at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics since 1926, gaining international attention in ways he didn't see coming. If ever there was a feel-good movie, this is it! Based on a true story, this film is suspenseful, dramatic and hilarious all in one, resulting in an insanely entertaining feature. Taron Egerton is brilliant as hero Eddie Edwards. He conveys emotion so well that you feel every feeling, every failure and every triumph. He is perfect as the nerd, likeable hero and champion. Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast as a has-been champion who unwillingly becomes Eddie’s coach. His famous “Bo Derek” scene is a riot — fabulously hilarious and brilliantly acted.
 

Another of my favourite watches is the 2014 release Foxcatcher. Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and Steve Carell star in the Oscar-nominated film following the true story of millionaire E I du Pont and 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic gold medalists Mark and David Schultz. As du Pont hires the wrestling siblings to help coach other athletes striving for success in the next Olympics in Seoul, Korea, it also comes with a detrimental sacrifice. At its heart is a story of brotherly love and rivalry that turns sour, sordid, and ultimately tragic. Gripping. But gory.
 

The 2022 movie The Boys in the Boat is another super watch. It follows the rowing team hailing from the University of Washington in the 1930s. Their goal is to compete in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, and it all comes with its share of trials and tribulations, including world tensions that would later come to light ahead of World War II. It’s unexceptionally filmed and occasionally clunky, but this is a gently heart-warming underdog story you will love to see. 
 

Another nice one to watch is Richard Jewell, a 2019 release. The Clint Eastwood-directed biographical movie is based on a Vanity Fair article and follows a security guard as he discovers a bomb during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. As the guard tells authorities to go and defuse the bomb, he ends up being wrongfully accused of planting the device himself. It is an Olympics-related story, yes, but it is texturally different. Wonderful narrative. 
 

There’s another 2022 release you must not miss is The Swimmers.  Starring real-life sisters Natalie and Manal Issa, this film explores the coming-of-age story of Syrian refugees Yusra and Sarah Mardini. As the two escape the country on a dinghy and help 18 other refugees safely across the Aegean Sea, Yusra's talent for swimming leads her on a journey to the 2016 Rio Olympics. A very heart-warming narrative that goes beyond the usual Olympics theme. 
 

Last but not least, my final must-watch is a film from across the border, from Pakistan, titled Shah — the biography of great boxer Syed Hussain Shah. This film covers the story of this legend’s journey from being a homeless child on the streets of Layari, Karachi to becoming an Olympian for his country.
 

Enjoy!

The writer is Chairman of Rediffusion