5 Iconic Football Movies to Watch Ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl

The 2025 Super Bowl will pit the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs, and fans can get hyped for the big game by watching some iconic football movies. Sports films are known for their exhilarating depictions moments on the field, in the ring, or on the court, while telling compelling dramatic storylines. Whether based on true stories or completely fictional, sports films always maintain the ability to ignite the intense passion quintessential of fans. While genre-defining titles like Rocky, Creed, The Sandlot, and Moneyball have defined generations of sports movies, football films still rank as some of the best. Thus, there’s no better time than now to embark on a marathon of movies that fixate on football fans, professional players, high school teams, and the thought-provoking science behind the sport.

Ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl, football and movie fans should check out these five titles.

Silver Linings Playbook

The 2012 romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook isn’t a pure football movie, but the Eagles are a major part of its story. Based on the 2008 novel written by Matthew Quick, Silver Linings Playbook follows Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence), a divorcee and a widow who meet in the suburbs of Philadelphia and eventually fall in love. Pat is released from a rehabilitation program for his bipolar disorder and reconnects with his family, who are huge Eagles fans. Pat and his dad Pat Sr.’s (Robert De Niro) passion for their team helps them bond over the course of the film. No football game footage is shown, however, one sequence depicts Pat and his brother Jake (Shea Whigham) attending a tailgate at the Eagles’ stadium that ends in a brawl.

Many football fans can certainly relate to the way sports fandom unites families and helps people through difficult times in Silver Linings Playbook. Eagles supporters, especially, will get a kick out of seeing their favorite team at the heart of a critically acclaimed rom-com. Believe it or not, Cooper is a die-hard Eagles fan in real life, too. Outside of the movie’s football aspects, Silver Linings Playbook succeeds as a heartwarming and romantic story about leaning on others for support and overcoming personal obstacles. Standout acting performances from Cooper and Lawrence also make the film an enjoyable viewing at any time of the year. Football fanatics will find Silver Linings Playbook even more entertaining ahead of the Eagles’ contest in this year’s Super Bowl.

Invincible

The Eagles additionally took center stage in 2006’s Invincible. The movie tells the remarkable true story of Vince Papale, a Philadelphia bartender who overcame tons of adversity to play for the Eagles in 1976 at the age of 30. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Invincible details Vince’s journey as he tries out for his hometown NFL team and beats the odds to make it in the league.

Vince’s relationship with legendary Eagles coach Dick Vermeil, portrayed by Greg Kinnear, is one of Invincible‘s strong points, as well as the main character’s romance with Janet Cantrell, played by Elizabeth Banks. An incredible tale of perseverance, Invincible is another great movie that will have Eagles fans ready to run through a brick wall before watching their players compete in the Super Bowl. All football lovers will find Invincible‘s story equally entertaining and inspiring.

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Friday Night Lights

2004’s Friday Night Lights remains an iconic football movie more than two decades after its release. Based on H.G. Bissinger’s 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, the film chronicles the Permian High School Panthers during their improbable run to the state championship game in 1988. Billy Bob Thornton stars as the team’s coach Gary Gaines, while Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Garrett Hedlund, and more portray Permian’s players.

Friday Night Lights‘ in-game football sequences are exquisitely entertaining, as audiences are placed right in the thick of the heart-pounding action on the field. At the same time, the movie does well to focus on its characters’ interpersonal drama. Set in Odessa, Texas, the narrative touches on the obstacles the players face away from the gridiron, focusing on their family lives. Friday Night Lights wouldn’t have established itself as a top-tier sports movie without fleshing out the student-athletes so thoroughly. Impressive acting portrayals, riveting drama, and a fun football atmosphere made Friday Night Lights a timeless classic. Accordingly, football fans should queue up the film before the Super Bowl.

Remember the Titans

One of the most beloved football movies of all time, 2000’s Remember the Titans is loaded with football passion. The film follows Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), a real-life high school football coach who integrated Alexandria, Virginia’s T. C. Williams High School team in 1971. Remember the Titans recounts coach Boone’s process of building his team’s bond and motivating them to succeed on the field.

Remember the Titans sets itself apart from most football films by tackling the subject of race relations, spotlighting the prejudice Black athletes and coaches faced at the time. The movie presents an empowering narrative as Boone and the Titans’ come together to make it all the way to the state championship. Washington’s outstanding portrayal of the passionate and tenacious coach is still talked about today. Moreover, Remember the Titans incorporates plenty of humor and heartfelt emotion, making it a must-watch for all football fans.

Concussion

As fans revel in the Super Bowl’s grand stakes and unparalleled excitement, the damage football has and continues to inflict on players’ brains should not be forgotten. 2015’s Concussion shined a light on the real-life groundbreaking research that led to the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often caused by repeated blows to the head. Will Smith starred as Bennet Omalu, the physician and neuropathologist who published his research on CTE and later challenged the NFL over its attempts to cover up the findings.

Perpetually relevant in its subject material, Concussion is a gripping drama that every fan and athlete should watch. The story begins with a string of tragic deaths of former NFL players, leading to studies performed on their brains and a subsequent legal battle with the league. Concussion‘s emphasis on the suffering so many athletes have endured will make one view the NFL and the sport as a whole differently. Additionally, Smith’s lead performance instills the level of sincerity and attention to detail required by such a heavy topic. Even though it doesn’t deliver the thrills typically associated with football movies, Concussion remains a valuable piece of sports media.

All of these titles are available to rent purchase, and stream across various platforms.