The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. For over two weeks, the best athletes in the world will compete in winter sports from bobsledding to curling. The Winter Olympics arguably offer a bigger spectacle than the Summer Olympics, with awe-inspiring shots of skiers soaring through the air or lugers racing across ice at high speeds. Perhaps this is also why the Winter Olympics lend themselves well to cinema, already featuring the high-stakes drama, danger, dreams, and determined figures necessary for a compelling sports biopic.
Movies about the Winter Olympics lets viewers experience the thrill of elite competition in a condensed format and often offer opportunities to delve deeper into the backstories and histories of its athletes. If you’re finding yourself short on time to delve into the two-week Olympics event, you can use our guide for 10 Winter Olympics movies to watch instead on platforms like Disney+, Tubi, and more.
Miracle on Ice (1981)
Miracle on Ice is a docudrama about the United States men's national ice hockey team's shocking Gold Medal win in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Using dramatization and repurposed footage from actual game broadcasts, it captures how coach Herb Brooks (Karl Malden) leads the team to victory over the heavily favored Soviet Union. While it takes some creative liberties, it is essentially a historically accurate dramatization, and sports fans will love the actual game footage.
However, Miracle on Ice isn’t the only movie on this list that tackles the hockey upset at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Miracle (2004) covers the same story but reshoots the entire game rather than using real-life footage. The 2004 film is the more popular adaptation of the story. However, Miracle on Ice remains an excellent film for true hockey enthusiasts, running closer to the truth while still capitalizing on sentimentality.
The Cutting Edge (1992)
The Cutting Edge is a fictional sports romance centered on two down-on-their-luck athletes: the spoiled, snobbish figure skater Kate (Moira Kelley) and the arrogant former ice hockey player Doug (D. B. Sweeney). After their careers are derailed, they reluctantly team up as an Olympic figure skating pair and are surprised to find genuine attraction growing as they train. The Cutting Edge is an engaging blend of romance and sports drama. Not only does it feature a fun, “opposites attract” romance, but it also ramps up the exhilaration and stakes with its Olympic setting.
I like how The Cutting Edge capitalizes on the romanticization of figure skating. If you watch pairs figure skating, you’ll likely notice strong chemistry between them, though most of us recognize it's part of the sport. The Cutting Edge, however, allows the illusion of a dreamy romance and an ice-skating power couple to persist.
Cool Runnings (1993)
Cool Runnings is loosely inspired by the Jamaican national bobsleigh team's debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics. It follows four Jamaican athletes who, under the tutelage of retired Olympic bobsledder Irving Blitzer (John Candy), form a bobsleigh team and pursue their dream of competing in the Olympics despite their unfamiliarity with snow and cold weather. Cool Runnings is a great inspirational sports movie that finds the perfect balance between humor and inspiration.
The film’s lighthearted tone and humor are reminiscent of sports comedies like Next Goal Wins (2014), though it still also manages to drive home that same feel-good, sentimental drama that Miracle on Ice achieves. Stories of underdogs always have the potential to be inspiring and comical, and Cool Runnings really capitalizes on this. If you’re not too concerned with historical accuracy and are interested in a light take on the 1988 Winter Olympics, Cool Runnings is an excellent choice.
Miracle (2004)
Miracle recreates the dramatic victory of the U.S. men’s national hockey team over the Soviet Union in 1980. In this take on the story, there’s a heavier emphasis on Coach Herb Brooks and his unconventional coaching methods, which Kurt Russell perfectly embodies. From his demanding style to how he fostered passion in his players, Russell brings Herb to life in a way Miracle on Ice doesn’t.
Additionally, the dramatic recreation of the game with modern graphics heightens the film's exhilaration, while the casting of numerous hockey players adds realism. It doesn’t quite offer the raw, real-life footage of Miracle on Ice, but its spin on the story is special in its own way. If you loved Miracle on Ice but were seeking more drama and grandeur, Miracle is the perfect film to delve into the story, padded with a bit of extra nostalgia and passion.
Blades of Glory (2007)
Blades of Glory tells the story of disgraced figure skaters Chaz (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy (Jon Heder), who are stripped of their medals at the 2002 World Winter Sport Games (the film’s version of the Olympics) and find the only way to compete again is to team up as the first male-male figure skating pair at the games. If you’ve ever thought that sports dramas get a little too sentimental and melodramatic, then Blades of Glory is for you. The film brilliantly parodies sports dramas, poking a little fun at sports feuds and the sometimes flamboyant world of figure skating.
Ferrell and Heder are a comedy dream team, and I rank Blades of Glory alongside Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) and Step Brothers (2008) as Ferrell’s best comedies. It’s got the classic Ferrell comedy elements of absurdity and goofiness, and while it may not make you cry or inspire you, it will make you laugh.
Take Off (2009)
Take Off is loosely inspired by the first South Korean national men’s ski team. In the film, Cha Heon-tae (Ha Jung-woo), a Korean American adoptee struggling with his identity, agrees to join a ragtag team of misfits who make up South Korea’s first national men’s ski jumping team. The story is reminiscent of Cool Runnings and boasts the same balance of heart and humor as it tells the tale of underdogs doing what seems impossible.
However, Take Off also goes a little deeper than Cool Runnings in exploring national pride and belonging. Telling the story from the perspective of an adoptee was an excellent way to delve into questions of identity and culture, and to capture the experiences of transnational adoptees. If you liked Cool Runnings and Miracle on Ice, Take Off offers similar drama, inspiration, and humor, while still maintaining its own unique perspective.
I, Tonya (2017)
I, Tonya is a sports biopic that tells the true story of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) and her alleged involvement in the 1994 assault on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver). The film is unlike any sports biopic due to its abundance of dark humor and inclusion of mock interviews with the characters. Despite its dark comedy, it ultimately takes a sympathetic, compelling approach to Harding’s story, shifting the narrative from villainizing her to portraying her as a woman dealt a raw deal.
I enjoyed the realism of I, Tonya and how it wasn’t afraid to tackle the darker side of Olympic athletes and sports, rather than opting for the typical inspirational stories. It really makes you think about what elite athletes go through behind the scenes. Additionally, I, Tonya probes topics of abuse, domestic abuse, and manipulation, which sets it apart from other sports biopics.
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
Eddie the Eagle is another sports biopic about an unconventional Olympian. The film follows Michael “Eddie” Edwards (Taron Egerton), an Olympic skiing hopeful, who realizes he can qualify for the Olympics by entering as Britain’s sole ski jumper and begins training under former skier Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman). Eddie is certainly an interesting choice for a sports biopic, since he inspired the Olympics to change their rules to prevent others from following in his footsteps.
However, the unconventional story lends itself well to the movie’s heart and humor. Egerton and Jackman make a comical, mismatched duo, while the story is stranger-than-fiction and keeps you on your toes. Ultimately, though, it proves you don’t have to be an elite athlete to inspire others.
Torvill & Dean (2018)
Torvill & Dean is a TV movie that follows the lives and careers of Jayne Torvill (Poppy Lee Friar) and Christopher Dean (Will Tudor), the ice-dancing pair who earned a rare perfect score at the 1984 Winter Olympics. The pair mesmerized the globe in 1984 when they became the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time for a single performance. Meanwhile, Torvill & Dean is an excellent watch for those seeking a deeper understanding of the pair beyond their famous 4-minute, 10-second 1984 routine.
The film is fairly accurate, with some added drama for entertainment. It may not be as flashy as Miracle or as complex as I, Tonya, but it offers an inspirational tale about how two people from humble beginnings, working regular daytime jobs, went on to become two of the best skaters in the world. Torvill & Dean is an excellent choice for those seeking a true story of determination and connection.
Breaking Through (2022)
Breaking Through centers on Yang Fan (Meng Meiqi) and her journey to becoming China’s first-ever gold medalist in the Winter Olympics for short-track speed skating. The film is based on the true story of Yang Yang, who won China its first two gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics. It’s an interesting movie that tackles a story not many are familiar with. We all know China dominates the Summer Olympics, making it all the more enjoyable to see the struggles it had to overcome at the Winter Olympics.
Breaking Through is also an excellent choice for those seeking a sports biopic centered on a female athlete. The film is a wonderful tribute to Yang Yang while also educating viewers about the lesser-known sport of short-track speed skating. Like The Fire Inside (2024) and Nyad (2023), Breaking Through is perfect for viewers seeking sports biopics that tell lesser-known yet highly inspiring stories.
