The 13 Best Football Movies of All Time

Thanks to the coronavirus shutdown, we may not get any college or pro football games this season. But there are other ways to get your gridiron fix in 2020. We've compiled a list of movies about pigskin that are the best thing that you can get next to the real thing.





13. Safety

12. Any Given Sunday

The second-best gridiron movie of 1999 revolves around a Black quarterback on his way up, and his veteran coach, as they confront the football industrial complex and all the nastiness that the highest level of the sport has to offer, including: corrupt physicians; exploitative team owners; institutional racism; and more. 

11. You Don't Know Bo

Only two high-profile athletes in the modern era have pulled double-duty in both MLB and the NFL. And while they were both phenomenal players, only one was also a freak of nature. After winning a Heisman trophy, Vincent "Bo" Jackson went on to conquer two professional sports and rival Michael Jordan in terms of celebrity. You Don't Know Bo celebrates both the mortal and superhuman sides of a guy who seems ripped from the pages of a comic book.









10. The '85 Bears

Considered by some to be the greatest NFL team of all time, the 1985 Chicago Bears were so good -- and confident -- that they shot and released a music video accurately predicting their Super Bowl victory that season. The '85 Bears celebrates Singletary, Fridge, McMahon and Sweetness' journey to the Mt. Olympus of football. 









9. Four Falls of Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills infamously fought their way to the Super Bowl four times in a row in the early 90s -- and lost each one. Four Falls of Buffalo explores the wild ride/ordeal experienced by the players, and to a lesser extent, the fans.









8. The U

Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael "the Playmaker" Irvin, Hall of Fame head coach Jimmy Johnson, professional wrestling and movie superstar Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, Hall of Game running back Edgerrin James Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, and even rap icon Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell have strong ties to the University of Miami, which are explored in this illuminating documentary.









7. Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?

Once upon a time, football was available for your viewing pleasure nearly year-round. While NFL games were played and broadcast during the fall and winter, upstart league the USFL operated during the warmer months. Players and fans alike loved it but the party was ultimately short-lived. This documentary sets out to discover who's responsible for the league's demise.  









6. O.J.: Made In America

Made in America isn't just about the O.J. trial, it's a comprehensive biography of Simpson as a public figure. The 11-month trial itself is complex enough, but this film goes even further and provides context for who he became and why the trial became so politically-charged. It also examines the wide philosophical and political gulf separating Simpson from many other famous African-American sports figures of his era. There's also plenty of attention paid to the stark contrasts between the Heisman-winner and most other African-American Angelenos. The doc is particularly timely in light of the current racial tensions in this country and the near-daily revelations of police misconduct (in some cases, murder) caught on video. There's a reason that America is in the title. It's worth noting that Made currently holds a 100% rating on the review site Rotten Tomatoes. 

Everyone involved is represented here: the prosecution; the defense team; the LAPD; LA civil rights activists; the Goldman and Brown families; the jurors; and even Simpson's life-long friends. The filmmakers were wise enough to not take a side. What they did do was to provide something infinitely more valuable: much-needed insight.









5. Elway to Marino

4. The Express

3. Brian Banks

Based on the title character's true story, Brian Banks follows a high school football star who's wrongly accused of a crime and persuaded to plead no contest to the charges -- but only because he's told that the worst sentence he would receive would be probation. Unfortunately, the judicial system wasn't merciful and instead he was sentenced to over 6 years in prison. While Banks did his time and was paroled, he learned the hard way that even out of prison he's still judged and denied the chance to earn a living. Determined to prove his innocence and get his wrongful conviction overturned, he works with the California Innocence Project to get another hearing in order to get his life back and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

The movie works on several levels and I can't speak highly enough about it. I was concerned going in that it would be like a Lifetime movie or a Dateline television episode of the week. But it's not like either of those at all. While the story is told with some flashbacks, it's so well done and with such perfect placement  throughout the film that they work without a hitch. Brian's story is engrossing from the beginning and forces one to wonder how he fell victim to the situation as well as to question whether he would ever be able get his name back. What you find is that this is something that could happen to anyone, all because of a false accusation. It's tragic and heartbreaking watching his mother, who's helpless, due to limited financial means, find that she's unable to help her son. But Brian's inner-strength and determination to get justice is amazing.

The story is perfectly-paced and the buildup toward the final court hearing is enthralling. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are all spot-on, especially Banks’ mother, Leomia, portrayed by Sherri Shepherd; the accuser, Kenisha Rice, portrayed by Xosha Roquemore; Banks’ parole officer, Mick Randolph, portrayed by Dorian Missick; Banks’ girlfriend, Karina, portrayed by Melanie Liburd; Justin Brooks, portrayed by Greg Kinnear; and last but not least, Banks himself, portrayed by Aldis Hodge. There is an uncredited performance by Morgan Freeman as well, but I won't touch on that for fear of giving anything away. All were wonderful but Mr. Hodge did an outstanding job in his role and I truly hope he's recognized or acknowledged in some way during awards season.

'Brian Banks' makes you realize how easy one can lose everything in the blink of an eye and how hard you must fight to keep your good name. A must-see!

2. Untold: The Murder of Air McNair

NFL great Steve "Air" McNair's 2009 murder was and remains a tragedy. And the mainstream news media has had a not-insignificant hand in shaping the perception that professional athletes and, especially, Black men as the usual culprits in domestic violence tragedies such as this. But the reality is that McNair (not to mention Carolina Panthers standout Fred Lane) was senselessly murdered by an intimate partner -- through no fault of his own. This installment of Untold masterfully explores McNair's football career and the circumstances of his death without adding to a certain racist, sexist narrative.

1. Varsity Blues

Varsity Blues bucks tradition and reminds us that "jock" is not synonymous with "moron". Johnny Moxon is on his high school's football team for two reasons: His dad pushed him to follow in his athletic footsteps and he happens to be a talented quarterback. When his friend, first-string QB, Lance, is placed on the injured list indefinitely, Mox, who's counting on his academic prowess getting him into an Ivy League school as opposed to his throwing arm getting him into an NCAA powerhouse, inherits the job.

What's high school without football? Varsity Blues is high school -- southern style. It has everything you'd expect in a great high school movie: run-ins with the law; and girl problems. As entertaining and funny as Varsity is, it still manages to tackle such heady subjects as concussions, performance-enhancing drug abuse, racism and underpaid teachers.

Originally Posted 5/14/20