Best movies like Sparring
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Steve Landry, an aging boxer with more losses than wins, accepts to become a sparring partner for an emerging champion in a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 700
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like Sparring (2017):
Similar in 83%
Mercenary (2016)
Plot Summary:
Odyssey Saône, a young Wallisian of Caledonian origin, leaves everything behind to try his luck in France as a rugby player. Soane is thirsty for freedom, fighting for recognition that it lacks.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 770
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: France
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Busted Up (1986)
Plot Summary:
Prolific actor-stuntman Conrad Palmisano directed this average action-thriller about the owner of an inner-city gym. Earl (Paul Coufos) happens to also be a skilled fighter, and when he is pressured by real-estate developers to close the gym, he fights in order to save it.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 126
Genere: Action, Drama, Music, Sport
Country: Canada
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 90%
Offside (2005)
Plot Summary:
No overview found.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 284
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Germany
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Last Man Standing (1987)
Plot Summary:
Roo Marcus has just spent 8 years in a mental institution, and takes up bare-knuckle boxing and gets a job fighting in a gym run by Napoleon. Roo is often tormented by memories of shock treatment and inhumane conditions. His friends, Capser and Ratty help him along the way, until he gets brutally beaten up by one of Napoleon's fighters.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 129
Genere: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 82%
The Last Fight (1983)
Plot Summary:
Singer-turned-boxer Andy 'Kid' Clave signs a contract with a shady promoter Joaquin Vargas. But Clave turns against Vargas when the promoter's thugs kill Clave's girlfriend when he thinks about backing out of the contract. While seeking a way to get revenge against Vargas, Clave learns that he has a blood clot in his head. But nothing will deter him from getting his revenge and making a shot at the title.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 76
Genere: Drama, Music, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: neo noir, independent film, hispanic
Similar in 77%
Small, Slow But Steady (2022)
Plot Summary:
A hearing-impaired woman with dreams of becoming a professional boxer due to the pandemic is threatened closure of her boxing club and the illness of its ageing president, who has been her biggest supporter, push her to the limit.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 909
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Japan, France
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
Tiger, Blood in the Mouth (2016)
Plot Summary:
Boxing drama / romance.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Argentina, Italy
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, light, captivating, erotic, crying, visually appealing
Similar in 75%
Back in the Day (2016)
Plot Summary:
A young boxer is taken under the wing of a mob boss after his mother dies and his father is run out of town for being an abusive alcoholic.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 856
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 85%
The Boxer and Death (1963)
Plot Summary:
Concentration camp commander Kraft finds out that prisoner Kominek is a former professional boxer. Overnight, the prisoner is made Kraft's exercise partner and unwillingly rises to a privileged position at the camp. His anger over the death of his friend and co-prisoner leads to open revolt. The film brings a new view of human degradation during fascism by a tragic story of one man whose only chance for survival is to accept the rules of an unequal game.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 381
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Czechoslovakia
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
The Fight (2018)
Plot Summary:
Tina lives in a quiet seaside town but her life is anything but quiet - her mother is threatening to leave her father, her daughter is being bullied and she and her husband Mick are juggling full time jobs and three children. Determined to ditch the dysfunction and beat her inner demons, Tina puts on her fighting gloves - literally, stepping into the boxing ring to sweat out her anxieties and punch up her self-worth. But does she have what it takes to get her family off the ropes and emerge victorious?.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 221
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: emotional, psychological, captivating, realistic
Similar in 83%
Chuck (2016)
Plot Summary:
A drama inspired by the life of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 83%
Diggstown (1992)
Plot Summary:
Gabriel Caine has just been released from prison when he sets up a bet with a business man. The business man owns most of a boxing-mad town called Diggstown. The bet is that Gabe can find a boxer that will knock out 10 Diggstown men, in a boxing ring, within 24 hours. "Honey" Roy Palmer is that man - although at 48, many say he is too old.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: cult classic, witty, neo noir, comedy drama, humorous, realistic, semi serious, independent film, tense, light
Similar in 77%
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
Plot Summary:
Mountain Rivera is at the end of his boxing career after a knockout by Cassius Clay in the seventh round. His left eye is one punch from permanent trauma, his ears turned to cauliflower, his speech slurred from "being hit a million times," and he slings punches anytime he hears a bell, but his trainer and 'cutman' Army, and Miss Miller, a manipulative social worker, support his illusion that he could be a movie usher, a camp counselor, or a romantic partner for Miller.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: black and white, atmospheric, bleak, retro, sincere, rough, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 82%
Elephant Heart (2002)
Plot Summary:
Marko Stemper, 19 years old, comes from a disadvantaged background and works as a window cleaner. His father, an alcoholic, tyrannizes the whole family, so Marko's only joy in life is boxing. As he is the most promising talent in his club, Gerd Hermsbach, a local demimonde boss, offers him the opportunity to become a professional. Marko accepts, but has to pay a high price.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 322
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspense, captivating, gloomy
Similar in 83%
Punch (2022)
Plot Summary:
Jim is preparing for his first professional fight but begins to rethink his life's trajectory and his sexuality after tangling with Whetu, a gay Maori boy who spends his days in an old shack down by the beach.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, gay cinema, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Tomorrow's Joe (2011)
Plot Summary:
Set in the 1960's, Joe Yabuki (Tomohisa Yamashita) lives in a run-down low income ara. There, alcholic ex-boxer Danpei Tange (Teruyuki Kagawa) notices Joe Yabuki's talents as a boxer. But then, Joe gets into trouble and is sentenced into the youth detention center. In the youth detention center, Joe gets into a brawl and then is knocked out by Toru Rikiishi (Yusuke Iseya) who is a champion caliber professional boxer. While incarcerated, Joe gets special training from Danpei Tange through letters. Upon Joe's release, he quickly becomes an elite boxer and famous for a devastating cross counter. Meanwhile, Toru Rikiishi is also released from prison and quickly resumes his boxing career. Toru finally gets his shot at the world championship belt, but before that, Toru wants a match with Joe Yabuki. The two men enter the ring.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Japan
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 80%
The Power of One (1992)
Plot Summary:
PK, an English orphan terrorized for his family's political beliefs in Africa, turns to his only friend, a kindly world-wise prisoner, Geel Piet. Geel teaches him how to box with the motto “fight with your fists and lead with your heart”. As he grows to manhood, PK uses these words to take on the system and the injustices he sees around him - and finds that one person really can make a difference.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: Australia, France, USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: emotional, touching, inspirational, intense, uplifting, serious, realistic, captivating, christian film, political
Similar in 76%
Body and Soul (1981)
Plot Summary:
A young man struggles to become a boxing champ, but success blinds him. It is only through the love of his girlfriend that he is brought back to reality.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 386
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: neo noir, grindhouse, independent film, sincere, rough, serious, realistic, eighties
Similar in 76%
The Challenger (2015)
Plot Summary:
A legendary trainer comes out of retirement to help an underdog boxer fight his way to a better life.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: inspirational, captivating, tense, realistic
Similar in 83%
Dans les cordes (2007)
Plot Summary:
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IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 109
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: France
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, suspense
Similar in 83%
Journeyman (2017)
Plot Summary:
A boxer suffers a serious head injury during a fight, and must deal with the consequences.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: exciting, sentimental, inspirational, rough, art house, odd
Similar in 81%
Hands of Stone (2016)
Plot Summary:
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Panama, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, exciting, tense, inspirational, period piece, cult classic, serious, hot, extraordinary
Similar in 77%
Creed II (2018)
Plot Summary:
Follows Adonis Creed's life inside and outside of the ring as he deals with new found fame, issues with his family, and his continuing quest to become a champion.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 152000
Genere: Action, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: inspirational, uplifting, captivating, motivational, melancholic, touching, serious, bloody, hood, cult classic
Similar in 78%
Fat City (1972)
Plot Summary:
Two men, working as professional boxers, come to blows when their careers each begin to take opposite momentum.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, realistic, neo noir, serious, captivating, cynical, cult classic, bleak, ironic, entertaining
Similar in 79%
Rocky II (1979)
Plot Summary:
After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 227000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, rough, feel good, captivating, entertaining, action packed, saga, action adventure, motivational
Similar in 84%
Rocky III (1982)
Plot Summary:
Now the world champion, Rocky Balboa is living in luxury and only fighting opponents who pose no threat to him in the ring, until Clubber Lang challenges him to a bout. After taking a pounding from Lang, the humbled champ turns to former bitter rival Apollo Creed for a rematch with Lang.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 208000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: inspirational, captivating, suspenseful, action packed, action adventure, suspense, psychological, motivational, uplifting, saga
Similar in 83%
Creed III (2023)
Plot Summary:
After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damien Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damien - a fighter who has nothing to lose.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 87000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: interesting
Similar in 85%
Girlfight (2000)
Plot Summary:
Diana Guzman begins to train as a boxer and achieves impressive success, blazing new trails for female boxers, all while keeping it a secret from her father.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: uplifting, independent film, captivating, touching, realistic, serious, cult classic, rough, gloomy, sincere
Similar in 89%
A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true life experience of Billy Moore who survived his Thai prison ordeal by becoming a Muay Thai boxing champion.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Sport
Country: UK, France, China, Cambodia, USA, Germany
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: exciting, suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, independent film, powerful, indie film, devastating
Similar in 87%
Rocky V (1990)
Plot Summary:
A lifetime of taking shots has ended Rocky's career, and a crooked accountant has left him broke. Inspired by the memory of his trainer, however, Rocky finds glory in training and takes on an up-and-coming boxer.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 148000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: inspirational, serious, realistic, action packed, saga, action adventure, suspense, cult classic, sincere, feel good