15+ Olympic Movies Your FAMILY Can Watch TONIGHT!

Get into the Olympic spirit with these Olympic & sports-themed movie ideas your family can stream tonight. With movies for all ages, there’s something for everyone.

In 1984 — the first Olympics I clearly remember — Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics. The Soviet Boycott, McDonald’s big promotion, sitting on the side of the road as we anxiously awaited the Olympic Torch as it traveled the country. And, of course, Mary Lou Retton.

I was hooked.

While I never fell in love with the Winter Olympics, I go all out for the Summer ones, and I can’t wait for the 2024 Paris Olympics! And now that we’re nearing summer, I’m in full-on Olympic mode. And one way we’re getting into the mood is with movies & documentaries about the Olympics.

Family-Friendly Olympic Movies

From the fun (Cool Runnings) to the classics (Chariots of Fire), the movies on this list are rated G or PG. Walk, Don’t Run & The Gabby Douglas story are both Not Rated.

Walk, Don’t Run

(Rent on AppleTV & Prime Video)

The story is set against the backdrop of the Tokyo Olympics, where a housing shortage forces three strangers to share a cramped apartment with a British industrial, an American athlete, and a British secretary. As the trio navigates the challenges of living together in close quarters, romantic entanglements and misunderstandings ensue.

This would be Cary Grant’s final screen role.

Miracle

(Disney+, Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

the inspiring true story of the 1980 U.S. men’s ice hockey team. Under the guidance of coach Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, a group of underdog players comes together to form a cohesive team and competes against formidable opponents at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

A Second Chance & A Second Chance: Rivals!

(Netflix)

A gymnast lacks the confidence she needs to reach the top. But with the help of her new coach, she has the chance to win a spot on the national team.

A gymnastics star plans a change when she doesn’t qualify for the Australian Gymnastics Olympic team. She hopes to rediscover her passion for gymnastics by coaching a new team of young gymnasts from a local country club.

Raising the Bar

(Netflix, Prime Video)

An elite gymnast quits the program and moves to Australia. There she re-enters competitive gymnastics to help a new friend, and tries to make amends for her past.

Cool Runnings

(Disney +, Amazon Prime)

Four Jamaican bobsleighers dream of competing in the Winter Olympics despite never having seen snow. With the help of a disgraced former champion desperate to redeem himself, the Jamaicans set out to become worthy of Olympic selection and go all out for glory.

The Cutting Edge

(Rent on AppleTV)

Toe pick!

She’s a wealthy pairs-figure skater whose dedicated but elitist attitude has her competing solo. He’s a no-nonsense hockey champion with a career-ending injury. With their individual Olympic hopes fading, together they have an opportunity to make their dreams come true. This rom-com starring Moira Kelly & D.B. Sweeney will delight your Gen-X heart.

Chariots of Fire

(Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

Based on the true stories of two athletes, this class movie profiles Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Abrahams, a Jewish sprinter, faces prejudice and discrimination, while Liddell, a devout Christian, grapples with conflicting priorities between his faith and his passion for running.

Red Army

(Rent on Amazon & Apple TV)

Hockey captain Slava Fetisov and four other players form a nearly unbeatable unit known as the `Russian Five’, but their coach’s brutal regimen leads Fetisov and others to defect from the Soviet Union.

The Gabby Douglas Story

(Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

The movie follows Gabby’s journey from her early days in Virginia to becoming the first African-American gymnast to win the individual all-around Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Gabby Douglas stars as herself in this made-for-TV movie.

Olympic movies for tweens, teens, and adults

If your kiddos are ready for slower or more intense movies OR you’re looking for a date-night movie, this section is for you.

The Boys in the Boat

(Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

During the height of the Great Depression, members of the rowing team at the University of Washington were thrust into the spotlight as they competed for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Eddie the Eagle

(Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

Based on the true story of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, a British ski jumper who became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 1988.

Race

(Netflix, rent on Prime Video & Apple TV)

Young Jesse Owens becomes a track and field sensation while attending college in the early 1930s. With guidance from his coach, Owens gains national recognition for breaking numerous records. After heated debates, the United States decides not to boycott the Olympics in Nazi Germany. Overcoming racism at home and abroad, Owens seizes the opportunity to show Berlin and the world that he’s the fastest man alive.

Blades of Glory

(Prime Video, Hulu, Rent on AppleTV)

A comedy about two figure skaters, played by Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, who are banned from singles competition but find a loophole that allows them to compete as the first-ever male-male pairs team.

Unbroken

(Netflix, Rent on AppleTV & Prime Video)

While not solely about the Olympics, this film, directed by Angelina Jolie, tells the incredible true story of Louis Zamperini, a 1936 Olympic runner who spent 47 days adrift at sea and then became a prisoner of war during World War II.

Munich

(Rent on Prime Video & AppleTV)

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, terrorists attacked members of the Israeli Olympic team, taking them hostage & ultimately killing the Israeli atheletes. In the aftermath of the attack, a covert Israeli squad embarks on a mission to track down and eliminate those responsible for the massacre by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September.

Swimming Upstream

(Prime Video, rent on Apple TV)

One of many siblings in a large Australian family, Tony Fingleton struggles to garner the respect of his stern father. Deciding to pursue competitive swimming, Tony embarks on a quest to become the best athlete possible andwin over his dad in the process.

Foxcatcher

(Hulu, Rent on Prime Video)

Starring Steve Carell & Channing Tatum, this movie is based on the true story of wealthy John du Pont, Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz, and Mark’s brother. du Point convinces Mark to move to his estate and help form a wrestling team for the 1988 Olympics, where he leads Mark down a dark road. du Pont becomes fixated on bringing Dave into the fold, eventually propelling all three toward an unforeseen tragedy.

Zero to Hero

(Netflix)

Based on the true story of medal-winning Paralympian So Wa-wai, who navigated personal and physical struggles with the help of his mother.

The movie is in Chinese. You can switch to an English dub or English subtitles.

Swimmers

(Netflix)

Two Syrian sisters flee their war-torn home in Damascus, swim for hours in choppy Mediterranean seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before going on to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.

Richard Jewell

(Rent on AppleTV & Prime Video)

A hero’s life is shattered by one massive, misplaced rush to judgment when the man who thwarted the 1996 Atlanta bombing was wrongly accused as the main suspect.

without limits

(Netflix, Rent on AppleTV & Prime Video)

The fiery life and fast times of the renowned long-distance distance runner, Steve Prefontaine, who held every record from 2,000 through 10,000 meters. After competing in the 1972 Olympics, he qualified for the 1976 Olympics before his untimely death.

Honorable mentions

At the time of publishing this post, the movies below aren’t available to stream. If you can find them through your library or they come to a streaming service after publishing, they’re worth watching.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Based on the true story of Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, a British ski jumper who became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 1988.

I, Tonya

In 1994, figure skating took hold of the Olympic world when the rivalry between Tonya Harding & Nancy Kerrigan spiraled out of control. In this true story of Tonya Harding, her ex-husband conspires to injure Kerrigan in a poorly conceived attack that forces the young woman to withdraw from the national championship. 

What’s your favorite sports movie?

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