Between watching your favorite athletes compete for gold at the 2024 Olympic Games, there is plenty of Olympic content, including movies about the Olympics, to keep you busy.
Olympic season is the perfect time to watch movies about the Olympics — true stories about former (and current) Olympians as well as fictional stories about the worldwide games.
So when you run out of events to watch, but you still need to scratch that Olympic itch, here are 15 of the best movies about the Olympics.
15 best movies about the Olympics to watch during the 2024 Games
1. ‘The Boys in the Boat’
Out of the depths of the Great Depression, members of the underdog rowing team at the University of Washington prove they are strong enough to qualify for the Olympics.
With hard work, passion, friendship and talent, the boys compete for 1936 Olympics in Berlin — where they are ready to prove just how strong of a team they are.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: PG-13, for some language and smoking.
2. ‘Cool Runnings’
After being disqualified from competing in the Olympic Games, Jamaican sprinter Derice Bannock (Just Leon) refuses to let his Olympic dreams die. With help from former American bobsled champ Irving Blitzer (John Candy), Derice forms what he hopes will be the first Jamaican bobsled team. The four Jamaican men have never seen the snow — but that doesn’t stop them.
When the men arrive in Calgary for the Olympic competition, they are treated by the other bobsled teams as outsiders who will embarrass the sport, but the Jamaican team is committed to proving their skeptics wrong.
Where to watch: Disney+
Rating: PG, for mild language and some violence.
3. ‘Chariots of Fire’
Runners Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) are both determined to win at the Olympics, but they both face personal tribulations related to their faith.
Eric, a devout Christian, refuses to train or compete on Sunday as it conflicts with his Sabbath-day worship. Harold, who is Jewish, must overcome antisemitism. As the two competitors discover how much they have in common, they bond over their quests to hold true to their honor.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube TV
Rating: PG, for mild language and smoking.
4. ‘Downhill Racer’
Overly confident skier David Chappellet (Robert Redford) joins the U.S. ski team as a downhill racer as a replacement to a recently injured athlete.
David clashes with the coach, Eugene Claire (Gene Hackman), who David believes is not rooting for his best interest. If he is going to succeed against Olympic competition, David must humble himself and face a growing identity crisis.
Where to watch: YouTube TV
Rating: Not rated, mild sexuality.
5. ‘Unbroken’
Louis “Louie” Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) learned to channel his abundance of energy as a child into sport. Louie was a promising young runner, and in 1936, he qualified for the Olympics.
Following a record-breaking run at the Olympics, World War II breaks out, and Louie enlists in the army. When Louie’s plane crashes in the Pacific, he endures 47 days stranded in the ocean until he is captured by the Japanese navy.
Louie’s endurance is tested once again at a prisoner of war camp, where he must put up with a particularly brutal commander.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: PG-13, for war violence and brief language.
6. ‘Race’
“Race” is based on the true story of Olympian Jesse Owens (Stephan James).
As an Ohio State University student in the 1930s, Jesse attracts attention as a track and field sensation. With counsel from coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis), Jesse masters his technique and gains national attention — propelling him to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
While competing for gold, Jesse faces racism at home and abroad, which influences him to prove to the world what he is truly capable of.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: PG-13, for thematic event and language.
7. ‘Eddie the Eagle’
After getting cut from the Olympic ski team, in a desperate attempt to keep his Olympic dreams alive, Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton) begins ski jumping.
Eddie is decades behind in training when he enlists help from former ski jumper Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman). With support from Bronson, Eddie is determined to prove wrong the mass of cynics who believe his dreams are ridiculous.
Where to watch: Max
Rating: PG-13, for some suggestive material and smoking.
8. ‘Olympic Dreams’
Reserved cross-country skier Penelope (Alexi Pappas) forms an unlikely friendship with an outgoing dentist (Nick Kroll) while staying at the Olympic Village for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.
Where to watch: AMC+
Rating: PG-13, for some language and sexual references.
9. ‘Without Limits’
“Without Limits” follows the life of runner Steve Prefontaine before, during and after qualifying for the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Before competing in the Olympics, Prefontaine (Billy Crudup) worked with coach Bill Bowerman (Donald Sutherland), who helped make him an Olympic-worthy runner. Prefontaine faced criticism for arrogance but proved talented enough for his unique running technique.
Where to watch: YouTube TV
Rating: PG-13, for brief sexual material and brief language.
10. ‘The Swimmers’
When Syrian sisters Yusra Mardini and Sarah Mardini seek refuge from their war-torn home in Damascus, they are required to jump from a sinking raft and swim for hours in the choppy Mediterranean Sea until they reach Greece.
As the sisters begin rebuilding their lives, Yusra is recruited to join the Refugee Olympic Team as a swimmer in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Where to watch: Netflix
Rating: PG-13, for thematic material, some violence and language.
11. ‘Miracle’
Former hockey player Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) believes he has what is takes to bring the U.S. Olympic Hockey team to victory over the dominating Soviet team — which has won gold in the past four Olympic Games.
Herb employs unconventional methods to strengthen his players, which attracts critics. But Herb knows he has to do things differently if the U.S. team is going to defeat the reigning champs.
Where to watch: Disney+
Rating: PG, for language and sports action.
12. ‘The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar’
“The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar” is a theatrical retelling of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles’ journey to the Olympic Games.
As a young girl, Biles (Jeanté Godlock) was determined to live out her dreams of becoming an Olympic gymnast. In pursuit of her goal, Simone gave up parties, her high school prom and other social events to train. Simone overcame several trials in her journey to become the Olympian we know today.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Rating: TV-PG.
13. ‘Champions’
Marcus (Woody Harrelson) — a former minor-league basketball coach — receives a court order to coach a team of basketball players with intellectual disabilities. He is skeptical about the team’s potential at first but soon embarks on a journey to take them to the Special Olympics.
Where to watch: Rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube TV
Rating: PG-13, for language and sexual reference.
14. ‘Blades of Glory’
Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) are figure skating rivals at the Olympics. But when the archenemies take their feud too far, they are stripped of their medals and banned from competing in men’s single skating.
Both determined to get back on the Olympic rink, Chazz and Jimmy find a loophole that can get them there. The pair team up as the first male-male pairs team. If they are going to win, they must overcome their differences and face a slew of criticism.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+
Rating: PG-13, for some language, sexual humor and some drug references.
15. ‘The Cutting Edge’
Snobby figure skater Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) loses out on an Olympic gold medal after falling during her routine. She wants another chance to win, but keeps driving away her skating partners with her stuck-up attitude.
Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) is captain of the U.S. hockey team. But when a devastating head injury leaves him with permanent damages to his peripheral vision, he is cut from the team.
Kate’s coach recruits Doug as her new partner. Their differences in personality threaten to ruin their Olympic goals, but as they develop respect for one another, the pair show real promise as a figure skating duo.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, MGM+
Rating: PG, for mild sexuality and mild language.