A good sports story is so universal that they’ve invaded practically every realm of media, whether it’s anime, documentaries, comedy or drama; TV or film, the tales of Rocky and Raging Bull make for some of the best movies ever. Now, while The Last Dance and Ted Lasso conquered television for the past couple of years, and Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive remains an absolute hit, 2022 had some amazing sports films that are well worth a watch.
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The Swimmers (80%)
By far the more heart-wrenching out of all these films, Netflix’s The Swimmers is no Wednesday, but it tells the real-life story of Syrian sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini, who fled their home country in 2015 after 4 years of a grueling civil war that saw them lose their house. While Yusra was an accomplished professional swimmer before leaving Syria, the sisters’ greatest challenge came during their journey from Turkey to Greece, when the boat that was transporting them and 18 other migrants broke down and the Mardinis plus a couple of other passengers had to push it swimming for 3 hours across the Aegean Sea.
The Mardinis and the rest of their family eventually settled in Germany, and Yusra went on to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team at Rio de Janeiro 2016 in one of the most beautiful stories of the event. Sadly, after both became refugee activists, Sarah was arrested in 2018 as she passed by Lesbos, Greece, the same island through which they entered Europe in what has become a highly political and scandalous human rights case.
Hustle (93%)
Adam Sandler’s relationship with Netflix has proven to be incredibly beneficial for both parties, and Hustle is alongside Uncut Gems the best movie to have come out of that agreement. Hustle also stars Queen Latifah and real NBA pro Juancho Hernangómez playing the fictional Spanish prospect Bo Cruz, making for exactly the type of story Sandler had always dreamed of, him being the basketball fan that he is.
As a worn down NBA scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, Sandler gets a bit serious to play Stanley in a script that feels like the typical sports movie, with just the right amount of emotion, frustration and a splash of humor. On top of that, NBA fans will be treated to cameos by Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, Luka Doncic and even the great 76ers legend, Dr. J himself.
Rise (95%)
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t always known as the “Greek Freak” nor was he the more talented among his siblings, in fact, he wasn’t always Greek nor even had that last name to begin with. Giannis’ parents moved from Nigeria to Greece, which is where he and his two NBA brothers, Thanasis and Kostas were also born, but due to harsh immigration laws, the Adetokunbo family (as they were known back then) remained stateless for most of the young boys formative years.
Giannis wasn’t given the surname Antetokounmpo and Greek citizenship until a couple of months before the 2013 draft, but Rise chronicles his family’s struggles in all the years that came before. Rise is the perfect family story to show the true power of sports, perseverance and hard work, and it makes the Bucks 2021 championship with Giannis and Thanasis on the roster, as well the Greek Freak’s stories about selling watches in the streets of Athens even more special. A true Disney story by all measures.
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (96%)
The second Tony Hawk documentary in two years, but unlike Pretending I’m a Superman, this one is not about the legendary video game franchise, rather, it’s about the man himself. If getting good at skateboarding is really hard, then becoming synonymous with the sport is ten times tougher, and Until the Wheels Fall Off does a great job at depicting what exactly makes this Tony Hawk so special.
Surely a must-watch piece of history for gamers, although there’s no greater proof of Hawk’s work ethic than him breaking his femur at 53 years old the day before the trailer for Until the Wheels Fall Off came out and the vowing to come back. Judging from his Instagram account, Tony Hawk is still flying like Superman.
Facing Nolan (98%)
Among the greatest MLB players of all time, Nolan Ryan’s career stands out for baseball statisticians as surprisingly average in some areas. That’s because for every record this native Texan still holds to this day, take his 7 no-hitters or his 5,714 strikeouts, he also possesses less notable milestones in negative stats such as walks, losses or wild pitches.
Perhaps that’s why Facing Nolan opens with the end of Ryan’s illustrious 27-year career, because his longevity is a testament to his hard work philosophy, values and straight-up sportsmanship. Despite being diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 1983, Ryan’s trajectory covers four different decades, and his legendary 100mph fastball nerve left him, even past his 40s. No scandals whatsoever here, Facing Nolan is a heartfelt documentary about one of the most down-to-earth legends in baseball.
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