The New York Post published a ranked list of the 20 best non‑traditional sports movies this week, prompted in part by the release of the trailer for Dwayne Johnson’s MMA drama "The Smashing Machine."
The Post placed 1998 poker drama "Rounders," starring Matt Damon, at No. 1, calling it a standout of the past three decades and a prime example of the genre’s breadth beyond mainstream athletics.
The list, compiled by a single author with contributions from the Post’s pop culture writers Peter Botte and Mark Hale, intentionally omits movies focused on baseball, football, hockey, basketball, boxing, track and field and horse racing. The aim was to highlight films that explore competitive pursuit outside those mainstream arenas, a category that ranges from poker and mixed martial arts to table tennis and other niche disciplines.
The timing coincides with renewed attention on sports films after the trailer for "The Smashing Machine," a Dwayne Johnson vehicle about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, landed this week. The Post noted that early reactions to the trailer have generated awards chatter for Johnson, whose high‑profile transition into dramatic, character‑driven roles has been a recurring talking point in industry coverage.
Also cited in the story is "Marty Supreme," a forthcoming Christmas release starring Timothée Chalamet that is loosely based on table tennis figure Marty Reisman. The film’s existence underscores the list’s central argument: sports cinema can be fertile ground for character study and unexpected storytelling when it turns to less commonly filmed competitions.
The Post’s roundup joins a broader conversation about what qualifies as a "sports" film and which activities merit cinematic treatment. Poker has been a frequent subject of such debates; the Post’s top choice, "Rounders," centers on underground Texas Hold ’em and has long been celebrated for its writing and performances. The article frames the movie as exemplary of how non‑traditional sports can produce tense, high‑stakes drama comparable to films set in more conventional athletic worlds.
Beyond the top pick, the Post’s list samples a wide array of films that emphasize personal stakes, subcultures and the psychological dimensions of competition. The selections reflect an editorial perspective that values storytelling and character development over spectacle alone, and they range across decades and filmmaking styles.
The Post invited alternate selections, acknowledging that any list of this nature is subjective. Critics and viewers have previously differed on which films belong in the sports canon and on how to weigh cinematic quality against cultural impact. The current list adds to that ongoing exchange by foregrounding movies that might be overlooked when year‑end or best‑of sports film lists default to mainstream titles.
As studios continue to explore athletic narratives outside traditional leagues and events, interest in non‑traditional sports movies has grown among audiences and awards observers alike. The release of "The Smashing Machine" trailer and the upcoming debut of "Marty Supreme" are likely to sustain conversation about how Hollywood portrays competitive subcultures and which stories get elevated on big screens.
The Post’s ranking is the latest in a steady stream of coverage that reconsiders the sports genre, encouraging readers to look beyond familiar titles and to reassess how films about less conventional competitions contribute to cinematic storytelling.