12 Best Wrestling Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Pro wrestling and motion pictures came of age together near the end of one century and at the beginning of another. So it's no surprise they share many similarities, especially when each dramatizes reality with the consent of a captive audience willing, even eager, to suspend their disbelief that what they're watching is real (though don't dare call pro wrestling "fake" to a fan). In the same way we know that Robert Downey Jr. is an actor, not a superhero, we know The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin only pretended to fight to the death (and probably shared a beer after their matches). Filmmakers and pro wrestlers are ultimately storytellers. When storytellers do a bad job, we roll our eyes and say "that's so fake." But when the storytellers make us believe what we're seeing is real ... that's when the magic happens.

Alas, unlike movies, pro wrestling has long been considered lowbrow, perhaps deservedly so sometimes. While nobody would call pro wrestling high art, the success of wrestlers-turned-actors like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dave "The Animal Batista" Bautista, and John Cena (if you can see him) has enhanced its credibility. But we're not talking about movies starring pro wrestlers – we're ranking movies about pro wrestling. We're excluding movies about Olympic wrestling (e.g. "Foxcatcher"), so don't slap on your singlet and put us in a headlock. Are pro wrestling films considered sports movies, or are they movies about artists? Yes. Whatever your stance, here are the best pro wrestling movies of all time.

Pro wrestling has a dictionary's worth of insider lingo, with terms like "babyface" (good guy), "heel" (bad guy), "work" (a fake fight or angle), "shoot" (a real fight or angle), and "kayfabe." The latter is more difficult to define, but it's essentially "when a wrestler convinces the audience that what they are seeing is real." So when a wrestler stays in character (like Mark Calaway pretending to be the MMA-loving zombie cowboy The Undertaker), that's kayfabe ... and also a work. Okay, it's a lot, but you'll get the hang of it.

"Kayfabe" is also the title of 2007 mockumentary, which shows it is "smart" to the industry through the wink-wink, nudge-nudge insider title. Written and directed by Michael Raven, Michael Scully, and Pete Smith (himself an indie wrestler since 17), "Kayfabe" tells the fake story of a pro wrestling promotion TCICWF (Tri-City International Championship Wrestling Federation) that is facing imminent shutdown, while its indie wrestlers prepare for one last opportunity to prove their star power. 

The subtitle "A Fake Real Movie About A Fake Real Sport" signals that this movie can be a bit too try-hard at times, as its reach exceeds its grasp. That said, using the mockumentary formula for a story about pro wrestling is absolutely brilliant, and it's worth watching for that alone. Hopefully one day it'll happen with a better film, but for now, we're more than willing to recommend "Kayfabe." And that's a shoot.

Sylvester Stallone followed up his Best Picture, Academy Award-winning boxing movie "Rocky" in 1976 with a 1978 film about a down-on-his-luck pro wrestling manager. We're sensing a pattern here. Perhaps Stallone was hoping to recapture the magic of "The Italian Stallion," but suffice it to say, his directorial debut "Paradise Alley" wasn't to pro wrestling what "Rocky" was to boxing movies. 

Stallone plays Cosmo Carboni, a con man who dreams of leaving the New York City slums, and he sees his chance by manipulating his musclebound but dimwitted baby brother Victor (Lee Canalito) into becoming a pro wrestler. Carboni's scheme goes according to plan until local gangster "Stich" Mahon (Kevin Conway) wants his piece of the action, forcing Victor to face the violent Frankie "The Thumper," played with snarling feral-ness by the real-life pro wrestler Terry Funk.

Stallone's original script for "Rocky" was much darker, and we suspect he was trying to scratch that itch with "Paradise Alley," which he also penned. But Stallone's style was never a good fit for jaded cynicism of the New Hollywood cinema, and "Paradise Alley" reflects that. Still, we applaud Stallone for showing ambition and suspect "Paradise Alley" could have been better if he'd shared some of the workload with a director who'd ease back on his excesses (such as singing the song over the title credits). As is, pro wrestling and Stallone fans should definitely take a trip down "Paradise Alley."

"Nacho Libre" features Jack Black at his, well, Jack Black-iest (if you know, you know), so your appetite for his style of comedy will determine how you feel about this film. In the 2006 comedy, Black plays a cook named Ignacio who sees that the orphans at the Mexican monastery where he lives and grew up barely have enough money to eat. Seeing no other choice, Ignacio (who his friends affectionately call "Nacho") moonlights as a lucha libre pro wrestler to raise money for the kids, but he must don a disguise as wrestling goes against the church's wishes.

"Nacho Libre" was a solid hit for Jack Black, earning $80 million domestically and $99 million worldwide on a $32 million budget, though director Jared Hess' sophomore effort didn't quite have the pop cultural impact of his debut film, "Napoleon Dynamite." Admittedly, "Nacho Libre" never quite lives up to the potential of its premise, as it settles for silly gags over quality comedy. Still, "Nacho Libre" is one of Jack Black's best movies, and it's sure to please fans of his sui generis, wide-eyed, gonzo style of hyper humor. Plus, it's a must-see for lovers of lucha libre.

"Rumble" takes place in a world where giant monsters compete in a professional wrestling event known as ... wait for it ... monster wrestling. So basically a combination of two of our favorite things, pro wrestling and kaiju movies. Hell. Yeah. Alas, like the real world of pro wrestling, monster wrestling has its fair share of megalomaniacs, most notably the shark/octopus hybrid Tentacular (Terry Crews), who abandons his small town of Stoker for the bright lights and big city after becoming world champion. Facing the possibility of her hometown losing their stadium, the human Winnie Coyle (Geraldine Viswanathan) seeks out a new contender and finds it in the son of a former world champion, Steve/Rayburn Jr. (Will Arnett), a giant red reptilian monster who would rather dance than wrestle.

"Rumble" is our sole animated entry, and it gets its pro wrestling bona fides because it features the voice talents of real-life pro wrestlers Roman Reigns and Becky Lynch. While the story of corruption in pro sports and cities being forced to fund stadiums may hit close to home (literally) for lots of viewers, "Rumble" is a bit clunky and heavy-handed at times for a kids movie. As Mat Brunet of AniMat's Review on YouTube puts it, "Rumble" is a "monster-sized mixed bag ... that balances elements that are both amazing and terrible" Still, it's monster pro wrestling. That's enough to get us excited and earn a spot on our list.

Female wrestling has grown in popularity in the last decade, both on the screen with programs like the unfortunately canceled "GLOW" on Netflix and in the ring, with the "women's revolution" on WWE and other promotions. But there's nothing new about it, as women have been wrestling since at least the mid-1950s, though they were rarely treated as anything more than eye candy, proven by films like 1981's "...All The Marbles."

Peter Falk of "Columbo" fame plays Harry Sears, the charming but corrupt wrestling manager of "The California Dolls," Iris (Vicki Frederick) and Molly (Lauren Landon). Like most pro wrestlers, "The California Dolls" dream of making it to the big leagues, but they have to suffer through the indignities of life on the road, including seedy motels, small-time crooks, and even mud wrestling. But with Harry in the driver's seat (literally and figuratively), they take a journey to Reno, Nevada to face down their arch-rivals "The Toledo Tigers" (Tracy Reed and Ursaline Bryant), while dealing with a shady, slimeball promoter, Eddie Cisco (Burt Young). 

"...All The Marbles" is the last film from underrated journeyman director Robert Aldrich, whose other credits include "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?," "The Dirty Dozen" and the original iterations of "The Flight of the Phoenix" and "The Longest Yard." While the raunchy comedy falls far short of Aldrich's best, it is an entertaining time capsule that shows just how far women's wrestling has come.

"The Foul King" is the only international film on our list, though it does remind us that pro wrestling isn't just an American "sport" but a global phenomenon. "The Foul King" is the second feature from acclaimed South Korean writer and director Kim Jee-woon after his celebrated 1998 debut, "The Quiet Family," and it tells the story of Dae-Ho, played by Song Kang-ho of "Parasite." Dae-ho is an aimless bank clerk whose wimpiness and timidity is matched only by his incompetence as his job. Seeking an escape from his go-nowhere existence, Dae-ho embraces his childhood dream and joins the Jang Chil-sam Pro Wrestling gym, where he moonlights as a rule-breaking pro wrestler.

Pro wrestling has long been seen a source of wish fulfillment for fans, most notably "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's multi-year feud with his boss, the tyrannical Mr. McMahon, which was almost televised therapy for viewers who wished they could punch out their boss too (and dump cement into his Corvette, for that matter). "The Foul King" takes this one step further, as Dae-ho gets to express his real-life frustrations in the squared circle. We feel it when Dae-ho's manager (Song Young-chang) tells him, "Welcome to the real world. If you're weak, you die." So we can relate to Dae-ho's decision to escape the "real" world for the cartoon/carny paradise of pro wrestling.

For every "Nature Boy" Ric Flair or Randy "Macho Man" Savage, there are 20 pro wrestling gimmicks that were dead on arrival. Whether they're great or horrible, each speaks to pro wrestling's core purpose: to get over with the crowd ("over" being wrestling lingo for "generating a connection with the fans"). Well, add to that list Cassandro, the "Liberace of Lucha Libre," and the central character in Roger Ross Williams' 2023 biopic, based on the real-life luchador and also the subject of Williams' own 2016 short film.

Gael García Bernal flies high as Cassandro, the out loud-and-proud gimmick of the charismatic, openly gay pro wrestler from El Paso, Texas, Saúl Armendáriz. The film charts Armendáriz's — actually, Cassandro's — rise to international fame. Along the way, Cassandro also rises above the prejudice and homophobia of the macho Mexican pro wrestling culture. While the film's tale of one's true self triumphing against the odds can feel a bit preachy and on the nose at times, "Cassandro" is saved from treacly triteness by William's crisp and brisk direction and, especially, Bernal's totally committed performance. 

While the Amazon MGM Studios' movie came and went when it was released, it is still worth streaming, both for its inspiring story of acceptance and its reverence for the colorful and enchanting world of Mexican lucha libre.

Released in 1950, "Night and The City" is the oldest movie on our list, and speaks to how long filmmakers have seen the storytelling potential in pro wrestling. For that matter, it also shows how long "the business" has been associated with the seedy underbelly of society. Richard Widmark plays Harry Fabian, a second-rate con man in London who dreams for "a life of ease and plenty" (don't we all Harry), whose girlfriend (Gene Tierney) gets sick of supporting his go-nowhere schemes, forcing him to get creative. Harry sees dollar signs in promoting an aging Greek wrestler named Gregorious, played by real-life Polish pro wrestler (and amateur wrestler and strongman) Stanislaus Zbyszko. Bad things happen when Harry's would-be breadwinner dies in the ring, forcing Harry to hide out in a riverfront barge from the gangsters on his tail.

"Night and The City" is film noir at its finest, proving that the scandal-ridden world of pro wrestling works well with the shadowy stylings and morally shady characters of the noir genre. Like the best film noir (or pro wrestling, for that matter), 'Night and The City" forces us to sympathize with a certifiable heel in Widmark's Fabian, who we can't help but root for, even as we understand that he deserves what fate has in store for him.

"The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family" is a 2012 British TV special that tells the true story of the Knight wrestling family (real name: Bevis), owners of the World Association of Wrestling promotion in Norfolk, England. As enjoyable as the documentary is, it inspired an even better film adaptation: "Fighting With My Family." The 2019 movie has the benefit of hindsight, as it also chronicles the rise of daughter Saraya Bevis (Florence Pugh), better known to WWE fans as Paige.

Both Saraya and her brother Zak (Jack Lowden) get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their dreams — and those of their parents, Ricky (Nick Frost) and Julia (Lena Headey) — come true with a try out for the WWE. Sounds great, but only Saraya gets a spot, causing consternation with her jealous, heartbroken brother. The film charts her journey in the incredibly challenging program, as she has to wade through the cutthroat and competitive world of pro wrestling thousands of miles from her loved ones. 

"Fighting With My Family" does feel a bit like a WWE PR piece at times, though it still maintains accuracy, despite understandably taking some creative liberties. What stands intact is the powerful bond of an unconventional family with authentic performances across the board, especially from Pugh as Paige. In the same way the film follows Paige's rise, it feels like "a star is born" moment for Florence Pugh.

"The Peanut Butter Falcon" tells the story of a young man named Zak with Down syndrome (Zack Gottsagen), whose dreams of becoming a pro wrestler are stifled by his confinement to a residential nursing home. Zak escapes and crosses paths with an outlaw crab fisherman named Tyler (Shia LaBeouf). While Zak's caretaker at the facility, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), seeks out Zak, the fugitive takes the lad under his wing, teaching him life skills as they travel by raft Huckleberry Finn-style to North Carolina, where Zak hopes to be trained by his hero, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). Zak's desired gimmick? You guessed it: The Peanut Butter Falcon.

If it all sounds a little cute and yes, a tad corny, well, it is. But so what? Not everything needs to be jaded, cynical, and bitter, especially not when it's about the colorful, carnival-like world of pro wrestling. "The Peanut Butter Falcon" successfully straddles the line between sweet and saccharine, landing more on the side of the former. Credit goes to the cast, especially Gottsagen and LaBeouf, who are as committed to their craft as a great wrestler is to his gimmick, forcing us to put aside our preconceived notions, and just sit back and enjoy the show.

There's a saying that "it's better to be a has been than a never was." Well, it's hard to square that when watching aging pro wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke). Once a megastar who could pack arenas with thousands chanting his name, The Ram's now forced to subject his broken body to bloody, glass-and-barbed wire beatdowns in bars and high school gyms just to make ends meet. Yet what makes this movie a masterpiece is that The Ram never stoops to seeing himself as a tragic figure. Because as a pro wrestler, he lives and breathes "the business." He would give his life for this life, even if it has cost him everything, including a relationship with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood).

Yet he finds a kindred spirit in another past-their-prime performer, the stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Even so, there's an unbridgeable gap between them. She strips to make a living. He wrestles because it's his passion. The potential of a relationship inspires him to hang up the tights, but the ring is never far from his heart, even as it threatens to cause his actual heart to explode. The oft-distant Darren Aronofsky directs with a deep affection for his characters, while Rourke delivers the performance of his career — or any career — as The Ram, a man who doesn't want your pity, but he'll happily take your cheers.

This was as tough as choosing between Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI, but like every great movie or match, we went with our heart. Rarely has our heart taken a bigger beating than watching "The Iron Claw." In an industry ridden with heartbreak, the true story of the Von Erich wrestling family is perhaps the most tragic. Even though "The Iron Claw" didn't tell the whole story, there are few films we have ever seen that have the blood, sweat and heart as "The Iron Claw."

The 2023 film tells the story of the Von Erich brothers, superstars in the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling promotion owned by their dictatorial dad, Fritz (Holt McCallany). Kevin (Zac Efron) is the backbone and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) is the star, but each Von Erich lives surrounded by the squared circle, even long-suffering mom Doris (Maura Tierney). Every actor delivers, but Efron is a revelation, carrying the emotional weight of this at times overwhelming film on his sculpted shoulders. We feel the devastation and pain that is worse than any chair shot when he utters Kevin Von Erich's actual line: "Once I had five brothers. Now I'm not even a brother." For any naysayer who claims, "Wrestling's fake," this film says, "No, this is real." And that's why it's the best wrestling movie of all time.