This weekend, over 100 million people in America alone will tune in to watch Super Bowl LIII, as the Los Angeles Rams go up against the New England Patriots to determine who will be crowned champions of the National Football League for the 2018 season.

Taking place in Atlanta, Georgia and featuring Halftime Show performers Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi, as well as a National Anthem performance from Gladys Knight, the event looks to be a star-studded affair.

To get ourselves in the mood, we've been looking back at some of the biggest and best American Football movies of all time, picking out seven that you may want to check out ahead of the big game this weekend.

7) Remember The Titans

Will Patton and Denzel Washington in Remember The Titans
Will Patton and Denzel Washington in Remember The Titans

Boaz Yakin directs this biographical drama, based on the true story of African-American football coach Herman Boone. The film sees Denzel Washington take on the role of the influential sports icon, who attempted to integrate a high school football team back in 1971 despite racism running rampant.

Will Patton plays Boone's assistant coach Bill Yoach, with Ryan Hurst and Wood Harris taking on the roles of Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell respectively.

This is a real feel-good flick that'll put you in just the right mood for the weekend, but also serves as a reminder that there is still a long way to go when it comes to equality in sport and across the wider world.

6) Friday Night Lights

Proving so popular that it spawned a television series of the same name, Friday Night Lights features an all-star cast incuding Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Garrett Hedlund, Connie Britton and Amber Heard.

Following the journey of a high school football coach and his team in the Texas city of Odessa, the movie adapts the 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream and managed to work its way into the hearts of millions who watched.

It would go on to be named the Best Sports Movie at the ESPY Awards, and was amongst the American Film Institute's Top 10 Films of the Year back in 2004.

5) Draft Day

Kevin Costner in Draft Day
Kevin Costner in Draft Day

Kevin Costner leads the cast of this Ivan Reitman-directed drama, which is always worth a watch despite its box office failure and mixed reception from critics upon release.

As the title would suggest, the movie follows Costner's character Sonny Weaver Jr., who must decide in which direction his team should go after acquiring the number one draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

It may miss its mark at times, but Draft Day is funny throughout and one of those flicks that has aged well, despite the initial rejection.

4) Concussion

Will Smith in Concussion
Will Smith in Concussion

There's a constant debate about the health issues American Football players have faced following their career on the field, and that's something that Concussion - directed by Peter Landesman - takes a deep dive into.

Will Smith takes on the role of real-life Dr. Bennet Omalu who fights against the NFL's attempts to suppress his research and studies into brain degeneration suffered by professionals in the sport.

The movie is a jaw-dropping look at the often-tragic behind-the-scenes world of the NFL and American Football, and will cause any viewers to look at the sport in a whole other way.

3) Rudy

The life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is dramatised in this 1993 biographical flick, which stars Sean Astin in the leading role alongside the likes of Jon Favreau as Dennis "D-Bob" McGowan, and Ned Beatty as Daniel Ruettiger Senior.

An incredible soundtrack from veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith compliments a moving and emotive offering perfectly. A string of brilliant performances ensure that Rudy isn't just a film you'll think about whilst watching, but one that will stick with you for some time.

2) The Longest Yard

Adam Sandler's movies aren't exactly getting better with time, so why not visit one of those that sticks out for all the right reasons, The Longest Yard? The prison comedy gets some genuine belly laughs as Sandler takes on the leading role of (fictional) disgraced American Football player Paul Crewe.

Once he's put on the inside, Sandler is forced to form a team of inmates to play a game of football against their guards, and of course the odds are stacked against them as they don't hold a single ounce of power.

If you have the time, it's also worth checking out the original which sees Burt Reynolds in the role of Crewe!

1) We Are Marshall

In 1970, a plane crash killed 37 members of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, as well as five coaches, two trainers, an athletic director, a crew of five and 25 boosters. It was an incredibly tragic event.

We Are Marshall dramatises the events following the crash, with Matthew McConaughey starring as head coach Jack Lengyel alongside Matthew Fox as assistant coach William "Red" Dawson, David Strathairn as university president Donald Dedmon, and Robert Patrick as Marshall head coach Rick Tolley.

This is a truly sobering film, but an essential watch for any fan of the game.

MORE: The most memorable Super Bowl ads of all time


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
find me on and follow me on


Tagged in