From Zero to Hero: Cinema’s Greatest 9 Underdog Stories

To see someone win against impossible odds is a different kind of happiness. It reminds you that life is full of wonderful surprises.

Honestly, I have a list of the best underdog movies that always comes in handy when lending my shoulder to a crying friend, or just sulking about how things aren’t working out for me.

In this article, I’m sharing my list with you. Are you ready to root for the scrappy kids?

9 Best Underdog Movies of All Time

Keep a box of tissues handy because these movies will tear you up with joy:

1. Rocky (1976)

A movie that gave the world a template for training montages, John G. Avildsen's Rocky is a pioneering film in the genre of underdog movies. The narrative follows Rocky Balboa, a small-time boxer in Philadelphia who gets an unexpected chance to fight in the world heavyweight championship against the acclaimed heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed.

Rocky fits perfectly into the genre, featuring a protagonist who catapults himself to success through sheer dedication to his craft, facing all obstacles head-on, with no real resources. Although Rocky doesn’t win the championship in the end, his journey to the ring and his exceptional performance in the match are a reminder of how determination can unlock all closed doors.

2. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Who can forget that last scene, as the father-son duo walk down the street, joking and bantering with each other, smiling away, finally knowing that bad days are in the past? I live for such underdog wins. An emotional rollercoaster starring Will Smith, Gabriele Muccino’s The Pursuit of Happyness follows Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman, who fights for his son’s custody in the face of financial adversity and homelessness.

The movie establishes perseverance, diligence, and hard work as the cornerstones of success through Chris’s journey from homelessness to having an empire in finance, navigating the worst that could be thrown at a human being. The biggest highlights of the film are the father-son sequences, as the two spend their nights in public restrooms or wander around the city on an empty stomach, supporting each other no matter what.

Will Smith delivers a heartwarming performance as a failing father who loves nothing more than his son, that will stick with you forever. As I write this, I’m literally getting flashes from the movie in my head!

3. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

The proud recipient of eight Academy Awards at the 81st Oscar ceremony, Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan’s Slumdog Millionaire revolves around a slum-dwelling teenager in Mumbai, whose miraculous success at an Indian national-level quiz show, “Kaun Banega Crorepati?” or “Who is the next millionaire?” raises suspicions. Thus, he revisits his various events in the past, from his life in the slums, to explain how he knows all the answers.

While tracing a story of rags to riches, Slumdog Millionaire sheds light on the life of the underprivileged and how they’re deprived of their basic rights and aspirations, with Jamal’s story highlighting talent and perseverance as the silver lining in the cloud.

4. October Sky (1999)

Based on a real-life story, this is one of the earlier Jake Gyllanhall movies, where he portrays a coal miner’s son, Homer Hickam, who pursues rocketry inspired by the first Sputnik launch, going against his father’s wishes. Joe Johnston’s October Sky is a tale of the pursuit of dreams against societal and familial expectations, as Homer fights against all odds of sheer determination to overturn his predetermined paths.

But what exceptionally stands out is the complex father-son dynamic and its growth alongside the story, with Homer’s father being hell-bent on his son joining the coal mining work in the beginning, but eventually accepting his ambitions. It reminds us that you are what you choose to be and not what you are born into.

5. Hidden Figures (2016)

Revolving around three African-American women back in the 1960s, employed in NASA’s Space Program to launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit, Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures is a feminist movie done right.

Navigating serious and constant racial and gender discrimination, these three women, Dorothy, Mary, and Katherine, emerge as the core contributors to one of NASA’s most historic space endeavours, proving to the world that merit will always outweigh privilege, no matter the era.

6. Erin Brockovich (2000)

Starring Julia Roberts, Steven Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich follows a law firm secretary in her intense fight to bring down a giant corporation that is destroying a small town through pollution. The narrative emphasizes the importance of having a voice and taking a stand for the right against the wrong, despite the odds and risks.

Based on a true story, Erich Brockovich is your reminder to watch out for injustice and have the courage to speak up and put up a fight against the wrong for those who cannot fight for themselves.

7. The Fighter (2010)

David O. Russel’s The Fighter stars Christian Bale as Micky Ward, a struggling boxer trying to build a name for himself away from the shadows of his drug-addict older brother, while trying to keep his family together that is falling apart. Based on a real-life boxer and his life in and out of the ring, The Fighter is a raw exploration of resilience and determination against familial struggles and professional ups and downs. The narrative celebrates the will that ultimately always finds a way.

8. Cool Runnings (1993)

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, Cool Runnings follows a Jamaican Bobsleigh team as they make their way to compete at the 1099 Winter Olympics without any real support. The narrative is light-hearted as it takes on a journey of breaking boundaries through their diligence and dedication to the sport.

9. Legally Blonde (2001)

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Elle Woods is not your regular underdog. Born in an affluent family, she is more privileged than you might think, which ironically becomes her biggest hindrance in life, as people judge her, reducing her to a dumb rich blonde girl, who isn’t really capable of anything other than being daddy’s little princess. Elle faces constant belittling as she pursues law in one of the most prestigious law schools after her boyfriend dumps her for being too “dumb and blonde.”

But in the end, she emerges victorious in her quest, against constant scrutiny and brutal judgments, to become a great lawyer, proving to everyone that there is more to her than her looks and generational wealth. I love how the narrative doesn’t focus on flipping her a full 180 degrees as a character to better adjust her to the role after she becomes a law student, but highlights how her set of experiences and her knowledge of the world can come in handy just as much.

Let us know which is your favorite film in the list.