There’s a clear argument to be made that the biggest boxing films — or at least the most iconic — throughout Hollywood history all released several decades ago, during the seventies, eighties, and nineties. And even in a few instances before then, Hollywood had its fair share of popular boxing releases.
But there’s also a reason to suggest that Rocky (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and The Hurricane (1999) couldn’t quite hold a candle to the highest caliber of boxing films that have released so far during the 21st century. That’s what modern will mean, here: boxing movies released in or after the year 2000. And again, plenty of film fans may even argue that recent entries from this subgenre even surpass the quality of boxing movies past. Some of these entries will undoubtedly be more recognizable than others, but either way: these are the top ten best modern boxing films.
10 Ali
Directed by Michael Mann, written by Eric Roth, starring Will Smith as the titular Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest boxer to ever grace the ring — Ali (2001) had all the makings of a pugilistic classic, but it somehow overthrew the punch and landed on its back. For the most part, at least. Critics were fairly indifferent on the project, but their reviews were generally positive more than negative.
However, there’s no denying that it bombed in theaters with $88 million grossed on a budget that’s cited to have ranged between $107-$118 million. Those aren't the greatest numbers. Overall though, the actors performed well-enough to land the film here at number ten. After all: Will Smith and Jon Voight were both nominated at the Oscars, for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.
9 Southpaw
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, and Oona Laurence as their daughter, this is perhaps the most poignant film on the list. Its second act tone shift worked in the moment, but wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. And critics picked up on this. With modest reviews across the board, Southpaw (2015) did receive praise for its performances from Gyllenhaal and Laurence, but for the most part, audiences were higher on this film than their critical counterparts.
It did make decent money in theaters, though. And after time, it’s become one of the more popular boxing movies of the last ten years, up there with a couple other films featured on this list. And while it isn’t up there with the top of the echelon, number nine doesn’t necessarily mean that director Antoine Fuqua needs to hang up his gloves.
8 Rocky Balboa
After over a decade, Sylvester Stallone returned to the fan-favorite fighting franchise as the titular character in Rocky Balboa (2006). It featured Rocky now as the owner of a small restaurant in Philadelphia when he’s suddenly challenged to a match by a local boxer. It’s a fairly lazy premise from a creative standpoint, but it's executed to near perfection.
And shockingly, it was perhaps the best overall product in terms of quality since the original movie released exactly thirty years beforehand. There’s an argument that Rocky II (1979) was the franchise’s second-best — until a later entry of this list materialized, that is. Overall, though, Rocky Balboa was a solid-enough outing for a legend of the sub-genre.
7 Bleed for This
Like Sylvester Stallone in the 70s and Robert De Niro in the 80s, some of the biggest names in Hollywood have starred in boxing films throughout their respective careers. With regard to Bleed for This (2016), it stars Miles Teller as real-life Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza who suffers a critical neck injury after a devastating car crash.
The story chronicles Vinny’s struggles to fight his way back to the ring — both physically and emotionally. This is among the more underrated boxing films of all time, not just of its decade or even the century. And for what it’s worth: Bleed for This also features roles from both Aaron Eckhart and Katey Sagal. And they all perform just wonderfully.
6 Creed II
The most recent film on the list, Creed II (2018) picks up right where its 2015 predecessor left off with Adonis “Donny” Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) still under the guidance of Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone, of course). Except now, Donny must face off against Viktor Drago, the son of Rocky’s former rival. Portrayed once again by Dolph Lundgren, his performance as Ivan Drago was nothing to write home about, but it was a nice shout-out to fans of the franchise nonetheless.
The film overall was slightly less-acclaimed by critics than the previous entry, but with Creed III (2023) just around the corner, it’s worth noting that this second project in the spin-off franchise is just as much worth rewatching as anything on the list.
5 Chuck
Based on the real-life boxer who inspired Sylvester Stallone to create the Rocky franchise, Chuck (2016) stars Live Schreiber as Chuck Wepner, a heavyweight boxer. He’s well-known among the boxing community for going the distance with (arguably) the greatest boxer of all time Muhammed Ali in a 1975 championship bout.
One of the more intriguing scenes from recent boxing movie history included the titular Chuck watching the original Rocky (1976) win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film at hand actually used live footage of the award ceremony from forty years prior, which not only added a tangible tone of realism to the overall product, but the scene also hit home with fans of Stallone’s original boxing blockbuster.
4 Cinderella Man
Directed by Ron Howard, this is without a doubt among the more popular boxing titles of the twenty-first century. Cinderella Man (2006) stars Russel Crowe in the titular role as Irish-American pugilist James J. Braddock, a retired light heavyweight attempting to provide for his family during the Great Depression. Which of course means times are tough, adding even more of a rift between Braddock and his wife Mae, who desperately wants him to hang up the gloves.
It’s based on a true story, which renders its motifs of physical depletion and emotional turmoil even more heartbreaking in the moment. What adds to that element though was the dedicated and poignant performances, particularly from Paul Giamatti. And if it’s sounding overly depressing: despite Braddock and his wife’s years and years of struggling, Cinderella Man definitely ends on a happy note.
3 Creed
Upon its announcement by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2013, this project was generally viewed by film fans as a shameless cash grab, a needless spiritual successor to the Rocky franchise. However, director Ryan Coogler shocked audiences with his release of Creed (2015), starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Sylvester Stallone.
From captivating camerawork to witty dialogue, this boxing film hit home in many ways. Even the editing, the timing of certain shots and when they moved on to the next. Everything was on point in Creed, and it showed both in theaters and in the minds of critics. And while the original Rocky (1976) will forever be more iconic, this just might be the better film.
2 The Fighter
For the money of many fans and critics, there is a noticeable rift in quality between these top two films and the rest of the list. Directed by David O. Russell, The Fighter (2010) features Mark Wahlberg in the titular role as the real-life Micky Ward, while Christian Bale plays his older brother Dicky Ecklund. And while Mickey is definitively the lead character, Dicky easily walked away as the film’s reigning champion.
Christian Bale won Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars for his role as Dicky Ecklund — a former boxer himself who dropped Sugar Ray Leonard in a 1978 bout that became the pinnacle of Ecklund’s career, and his personal life. He became a local legend around his hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, but since, he became addicted to crack. It’s a truly poignant character arc that facilitated an absolute masterclass performance from Bale. Plus, the film also features Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, who were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards. Pretty star-studded.
1 Million Dollar Baby
Directed by (and starring) Clint Eastwood, this famous fighting film won a few key awards at the 77th Academy Awards. With seven total nominations — tied with Finding Neverland (2004) as the second-most nominated project of the year — Million Dollar Baby (2004) garnered a Best Actress award for Hillary Swank, along with both Best Director and Best Picture for Eastwood.
The film features Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) as the protagonist — she’s poor, works as a waitress, and has the heart of a lion that ultimately results in her downfall. It’s a truly heart-wrenching project that should be experienced for the first time without spoilers. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, do some stretching and prepare for bag work. You’ll need to be focused for this one.