I love movies that take literal ideas and turn them into metaphors. That's why wrestling movies always get me. They're usually all about grappling.

Now, sure, a lot of grappling happens on the mat, but we see a lot of characters grappling with parts of their lives as well.

Today, I wanted to go into my favorite wrestling movies and take a look at how they attack this stuff.

Let's dive in.

1. The Wrestler

  • Director: Darren Aronofsky
  • Writer: Robert Siegel
  • Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
This movie should have won many more Academy Awards than it did. All of Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Darren Aronofsky are at the top of their games, dealing with the legacy and toll of a hard life. I love the redemption arcs and amazingly sympathetic cinematography.

2. The Iron Claw

  • Director: Sean Durkin
  • Writer: Sean Durkin
  • Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Lily James
Just an emotionally crushing look at maybe the unluckiest family I've ever seen on film. The bonds of wrestling and showmanship here are only overshadowed by the heaviness of tragedy.

3. Foxcatcher

  • Director: Bennett Miller
  • Writers: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
  • Cast: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
An all-time creepy performance from Steve Carell in this movie. I grew up very close to the DuPont estate, so this one hit close to home. It's cool seeing how the rich use money as power and leverage, just like wrestlers in the ring.

4. Nacho Libre

  • Director: Jared Hess
  • Writers: Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess, Mike White
  • Cast: Jack Black, Héctor Jiménez, Ana de la Reguera
With all the heaviness, I thought we deserved to have a comedy on this list. I do laugh at this movie every time, and I like the idea of upholding traditions as well as the zaniness Jack Black brings to the screen.

5. Fighting With My Family

  • Director: Stephen Merchant
  • Writer: Stephen Merchant
  • Cast: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Nick Frost, Jack Lowden, Dwayne Johnson
The WWE is such a huge business that it can feel impossible to penetrate. Enter a movie about an underdog who figured out how to be a part of a dream and how to rise up the ladder as a crowd favorite. It's a fun ride.

6. Beyond the Mat

  • Director: Barry W. Blaustein
  • This is a documentary, so there are no traditionally written roles, but it features: Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
As I said, the world of professional wrestling is an interesting place full of egos action, and storytelling. This doc goes behind the scenes to talk to the stars and address some of the controversies. Even though it's a little older, it gives you a cool peak inside a hidden world.

7. Vision Quest

  • Director: Harold Becker
  • Writers: Darryl Ponicsan (novel), Randy Quaid (screenplay), Tim McCanlies (screenplay)
  • Cast: Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino, Michael Schoeffling
I love a good high school sports movie. this one digs deep into wrestling and the idea of cutting weight and training. It's a drama also about love juxtaposed against dedication to a sport and the desire to be great.

Summing Up The Best Wrestling Movies Of All Time

At the end of the day, these are all movies about characters dealing with issues and using their work in the ring or on the mat to balance those issues and take control.

With such a physical sport at its center, these stories allow us to enter a world we may not see very often and be a part of the grappling.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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