Top Five Soccer Movies of All Time

Scene from Escape to Victory (1981) ranked best soccer movie of all time with a cast that includes Pele, Sylvester Stallone, and Michael Caine.

Welcome to our Reel Fives pre-launch movie rankings for best soccer movies of all. The rankings for soccer movies are based on our pre-launch rankings for its parent genre, best sports movies, which captures sports movies more broadly. The movie rankings on top soccer movies are based on the 130 movie ranking sources we found for sports movies. In the list of sports movies there were 105 movies and of those, 5 movies were soccer movies; these 5 soccer films are ranked below.  As with the broader sports genre, these soccer movie rankings are based on rankings created by movie experts as well as rankings from polling sites that were found online.

Many of the soccer films include socio-political elements. Escape to Victory (1981), the all-time best soccer movie, is the true story of a soccer match between the Nazis and French and British prisoners of war. The match served as propaganda to show the superiority of the Nazis, but for the allies, the match served as means to escape. The power of sports in politics is prevalent in the film and that is why it is the best soccer movie of all-time. Bend It Like Beckham (2003), ranked second, also does not shy away from politics. Jesminder 'Jess' Kaur Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a young Sikh woman, defies her parents by playing soccer in America. Her parents do not approve of her actions because it is not traditional and yet Jess plays on. The film highlights the tensions between old and young generations of immigrants through soccer. See You in Montevideo (2014), tied for third, is the story of a soccer team from Belgrade who earned a spot in the First World Football Championship and their journey. Montevideo: Taste of a Dream (2010), ranked fifth, is also about the same soccer team’s complicated journey. Lastly, Gregory’s Girl (1981), tied for third, is about a boy who has a crush on a very good soccer player and the power the girls’ soccer team has in school. Females have the power in the movie, adding a feminist layer to the film. Through film, soccer gives an interesting perspective on socio-political issues.

 

Top 5 Soccer Movies of All Time

Percent of online top fives movies appear in shown

1 . Escape to Victory (Victory) (1981): 2.32% 

2 . Bend it Like Beckham (2003): .775% 

3 (tied). Gregory's Girl (1981): .775% 

3 (tied). See you in Montevideo (2014): .775% 

5 . Montevideo: Taste of Dream (2010): .775%

For a list of the 130 sources used for these rankings see our pre-launch rankings of sports movies.

Identifying the top movies is our mission.

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Best War Movies of All Time - Based on 125 Online Rankings

Scene from Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now (1979) ranked number one War movie of all time.

Welcome to our Reel Fives pre-launch movie rankings for the best war movies of all time. Our Reel Fives team has found 125 published ranked lists of the top war films online and ended up with 120 movies that made the list. For each ranked list of greatest movies for the war genre we have taken the top five ranked war films. The movie rankings on top war films that we aggregated are included at the bottom of this post and include rankings of the best movies in the war genre created by movie experts as well as rankings from polling sites, such as ranker.com.

Author Tim O’Brien wrote “War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead” in his book The Things They Carried (1998). This quote describes what a great war film ought to be and our top films do that. War is nuanced because what one side views as good, the other side views as evil and vice versa. Apocalypse Now (1979), the all-time best war movie, demonstrates the complexity of war. Set during the Vietnam War, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is on a secret mission to assassinate Green Beret Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) who the military believes has gone insane. While Willard is on his mission, he is forced to confront the reasons why Kurtz went insane. There is no easy way out. In Saving Private Ryan (1998), ranked second, Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) is determined to rescue Private Ryan (Matt Damon) behind Nazi lines. The film personalizes war and illustrates the tolls on the families of soldiers as Mrs. Ryan lost three sons and Captain Miller did not want to have another son die.  Stanly Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987), ranked third, captures the realities of war for the soldiers. The military brutalizes young men through training that leaves them psychologically broken down to be able to kill, and the film captures that.

While war movies are at times heroic, they at times mix elements of humor and brutality.

Brutality and dehumanization are products of war and so is humanity. Schindler’s List (1993), ranked sixth, demonstrates that humanity can exist even in a concentration camp. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) has a change of heart and decides to save some of the Jewish prisoners. Soldiers have autonomy and the power to decide whether or not they want to fight. While soldiers are told they must kill, they do not always want to. Paths of Glory (1957), ranked fifth, illustrates that soldiers do not always want to fight the enemy because they do not see why they should and their general has to defend their actions. Platoon (1986), ranked fourth, follows a young Vietnam soldier on his path to realizing that he is not needed and that the war is unnecessary. These films add depth and nuance to the war genre by simultaneously showing the worst and best of humanity. Schindler saves some of the Jewish prisoners, and some soldiers decide not to shoot. These small acts of humanity show that while war happens, people have a choice to kill or not to kill.

We did not find any surprises on the list as many of these movies have been recognized as great movies. Vietnam and World War II era films are on the list more than other war films, and we believe that could be in part due to the impact of both wars on society. WWII is still a popular war era for film. Inglorious Bastards (2009), ranked twenty-first, centers around Americans in the hunt for Nazis. We see that the war genre also includes the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as one would expect. We have started to see this with The Hurt Locker (2008) and American Sniper (2014). However, the list also shows that the genre loves its classic films. For instance, Casablanca (1942) is ranked eighteenth. The war genre should continue to be nuanced and we do not expect that to change, even with the glorification of violence in recent war films. 

Top 120 Movies based on 125 published rankings
Percent of online top fives movies appear in shown
1 . Apocalypse Now (1979): 57.5%
2 . Saving Private Ryan (1998): 51.2%
3 . Full Metal Jacket (1987): 30.3%
4 . Platoon (1986): 29.6%
5 . Paths of Glory (1957): 22.4%
6 . Schindler's List (1993): 21.6%
7 . Black Hawk Down (2001): 16%
8 . The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957): 16%
9 . The Thin Red Line (1998): 15.1%
10 . All Quiet on the Western Front (1990): 13.6%
11 . Patton (1970): 11.2%
12 . The Hurt Locker (2008): 9.60%
13 . The Great Escape (1963): 6.40%
14 . The Deer Hunter (1979): 6.40%
15 . Lawrence of Arabia (1962): 5.60%
16 . Glory (1989): 5.60%
17 . Come and See (1985): 5.60%
18 . Casablanca (1942): 4.80%
19 (tied). The Pianist (2002): 4.80%
19 (tied). Braveheart (1995): 4.80%
21 . Inglorious Basterds (2009): 4.80%
22 . Das Boot (1982): 4%
23 . American Sniper (2014): 4%
24 (tied). The Battle of Algires (1966): 4%
24 (tied). Letters from Iwo Jima (2006): 4%
26 (tied). Tora Tora Tora (1970): 3.20%
26 (tied). Jarhead (2005): 3.20%
28 . The Longest Day (1962): 3.20%
29 . The Downfall (2004): 3.20%
30 . The Dam Busters (1955): 2.40%
31 (tied). The Dirty Dozen (1967): 2.40%
31 (tied). Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (2004): 2.40%
33 . Bands of Brother (2001): 2.40%
34 . Born on the Fourth of July (1989): 2.40%
35 (tied). Memphis Belle (1990): 2.40%
35 (tied). The Best Years of Our Lives (1946): 2.40%
35 (tied). Grand Illusion (1937): 2.40%
35 (tied). Lone Survivor (2013): 2.40%
35 (tied). We were soldiers (2002): 2.40%
40 . A Bridge Too Far (1977): 2.40%
41 . Oh, What Lovely War (1969): 2.40%
42 . Where Eagles Dare (1968): 1.60%
43 (tied). The Patriot (2000): 1.60%
43 (tied). Breaker Morant (1980): 1.60%
45 (tied). Dr. Strangelove (1964): 1.60%
45 (tied). Ran (1985): 1.60%
45 (tied). Sands of Iwo Jima (1949): 1.60%
48 (tied). Ice Cold in Alex (1958): 1.60%
48 (tied). War Horse (2011): 1.60%
48 (tied). ZULU (1964): 1.60%
48 (tied). Zero Dark Thirty (2012): 1.60%
52 (tied). The Green Berets (1968): 1.60%
52 (tied). The Human Condition I (1959): 1.60%
52 (tied). Grand Illusion (1937): 1.60%
52 (tied). Kanal (1956): 1.60%
52 (tied). Battlegrounds (1949): 1.60%
57 (tied). Afirican Queen (1951): 1.60%
57 (tied). General (1926): 1.60%
57 (tied). Pearl Harbor (2011): 1.60%
57 (tied). Ice Cold in Alex (1958): 1.60%
61 . A Few Good Men (1992): 1.60%
62 . M*A*S*H (1983): 1.60%
63 (tied). The Battle of the Bulge (1965): .800%
63 (tied). Gallipoli (1981): .800%
63 (tied). Went the Day Well (1942): .800%
63 (tied). Resrepo (2010): .800%
63 (tied). The Messenger (2009): .800%
63 (tied). Seven Samurai (1954): .800%
63 (tied). Attack (1956): .800%
70 (tied). Beasts of No Nation (2015): .800%
70 (tied). The Message (1976): .800%
70 (tied). Ride With ehe Devil (1999): .800%
70 (tied). The Josephine Baker Story (1991): .800%
70 (tied). Life is Beautiful (1997): .800%
70 (tied). Gone With the Wind (1939): .800%
70 (tied). A Very Long Engagement (2004): .800%
70 (tied). Zero Dark Thirty (2012): .800%
70 (tied). Pork Chop Hill (1959): .800%
70 (tied). Sergeant York (1941): .800%
80 (tied). Ivan's Childhood (1962): .800%
80 (tied). Stalag 17 (1953): .800%
80 (tied). Land and Freedom (1995): .800%
80 (tied). Midwat (1976): .800%
80 (tied). The Longest Day (1962): .800%
85 (tied). The Winter War (1989): .800%
85 (tied). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008): .800%
85 (tied). The Boys in Company C (1978): .800%
85 (tied). Casualties of War (1989): .800%
85 (tied). Starship Troopers (1997): .800%
85 (tied). Reds (1981): .800%
85 (tied). The Big Red One (1980): .800%
85 (tied). Ran (1984): .800%
85 (tied). Gettysburg (1993): .800%
85 (tied). The Imitation Game (2014): .800%
85 (tied). 633 Squadron (1964): .800%
85 (tied). The Last Samurai (2003): .800%
85 (tied). Lakshya (2004): .800%
85 (tied). Cross of Iron (1977): .800%
85 (tied). Army of Shadows (1969): .800%
100 (tied). It Happened Here (1967): .800%
100 (tied). Enemy at the Gates (2001): .800%
100 (tied). 300 (2006): .800%
100 (tied). The Blue Max (1966): .800%
100 (tied). Lone Surviver (2013): .800%
100 (tied). Cold Mountain (2003): .800%
100 (tied). To Hell and Back (1955): .800%
100 (tied). Sophie's Choice (1982): .800%
100 (tied). Henry V (1989): .800%
100 (tied). Play Dirty (1969): .800%
100 (tied). The More The Merrier (1943): .800%
100 (tied). Judgement at Nuremberg (1961): .800%
100 (tied). From Here to Eternity (1953): .800%
100 (tied). Starship Troopers (1997): .800%
100 (tied). Malèna (2000): .800%
100 (tied). Alexander Nevsky (1938): .800%
116 (tied). Master Commander (2003): 0%
116 (tied). Fires Were Started (1943): 0%
116 (tied). Starship Troopers (1997): 0%
116 (tied). Flags of Our Fathers (2006): 0%
116 (tied). Three Kings (1999): 0%
War Movie Ranking Sources
IMDb	List of top 100 (link)
The Telegraph	List of top 24 (link)
Time Out New York	List of top 50 (link)
AMC	List of top 20 (link)
Games Radar	List of top 50 (link)
Good Movies List	List of top 50 (link)
IGN	List of top 10 (link)
The Guardian	List of top 10 (link)
Short List	List of top 30 (link)
Daily News	List of top 15 (link)
Sky Movies	List of top 100 (link)
Film School WTF	List of top 100 (link)
Men's Journal	List of top 19 (link)
War History Online	List of top 24 (link)
BBC	List of top 5 (link)
Wikipedia	List of top 5 (link)
Screen Rant	List of top 5 (link)
Honor and Fidelity	List of top 50 (link)
Mens XP	List of top 10 (link)
Matts Movie Reviews	List of top 10 (link)
Pop Matters	List of top 10 (link)
W Top	List of top 25 (link)
Wonders List	List of top 10 (link)
The Man Guide	List of top 10 (link)
Goliath	List of top 10 (link)
Film Crave	List of top 500 (link)
Movie Film Review	List of top 100 (link)
Esquire	List of top 10 (link)
Entertainment.ie	List of top 10 (link)
List Verse	List of top 10 (link)
News House	List of top 5 (link)
Movie Pilot	List of top 17 (link)
Ask Men	List of top 10 (link)
Jet Punk	List of top 20 (link)
Xinhuanet	List of top 50 (link)
Play Buzz	List of top 7 (link)
Sojo 1049	List of top 5 (link)
Zybez	List of top 5 (link)
Movie Fanatic	List of top 11 (link)
Details	List of top 11 (link)
The Morning Call	List of top 11 (link)
Rate you music	List of top 134 (link)
Hey U Guys	List of top 10 (link)
Movies to Watch List	List of top 10 (link)
Top Yaps	List of top 10 (link)
Flick Chart	List of top 250 (link)
Film Affinity	List of top 100 (link)
SSB Crack	List of top 5 (link)
Ebay	List of top 10 (link)
What Movie Should I watch	List of top 10 (link)
MUBI	List of top 15 (link)
All Womens Talk	List of top 8 (link)
The Official Blog for Things and Ink	List of top 5 (link)
Tips Hack	List of top 10 (link)
Greatest Movie .Org	List of top 15 (link)
Video Grabber	List of top 10 (link)
Retro Junk	List of top 10 (link)
WBAB	List of top 10 (link)
MRC TV	List of top 7 (link)
Before Its News	List of top 10 (link)
Filmonic	List of top 10 (link)
axs	List of top 5 (link)
The Impact	List of top 10 (link)
Ten Topi	List of top 10 (link)
1470WFNT	List of top 5 (link)
The News Herald	List of top 10 (link)
Confessions of a 20-something Manchild	List of top 10 (link)
Top 10 List	List of top 10 (link)
News.com.au	List of top 5 (link)
CELEBUZZ	List of top 11 (link)
Sporcle	List of top 100 (link)
About Entertainment	List of top 10 (link)
Listal	List of top 100 (link)
Ebay	List of top 10 (link)
Brian's Niche On The 'Net	List of top 10 (link)
Bluechat	List of top 10 (link)
Rephrase	List of top 100 (link)
TSL5	List of top 10 (link)
The Artifice	List of top 10 (link)
MUBI	List of top 21 (link)
Azcentral	List of top 10 (link)
Screen Junkies	List of top 10 (link)
Top Tenz	List of top 10 (link)
Moving Cenima	List of top 6 (link)
Criterian	List of top 10 (link)
Future Wars Stories	List of top 10 (link)
Digital Dream Door	List of top 100 (link)
Garbage File	List of top 5 (link)
Flick Sided	List of top 10 (link)
Kanjy Blog	List of top 10 (link)
Chop's Top Fives	List of top 5 (link)
Wanna Go to Movies	List of top 10 (link)
The Fashion Spot	List of top 10 (link)
Examiner	List of top 10 (link)
Retro Films	List of top 50 (link)
La La Boutique	List of top 10 (link)
bradwathen.com	List of top 10 (link)
Nick's Pix	List of top 10 (link)
Mail Guardian	List of top 10 (link)
Cha Cha And Spoon Presents	List of top 5 (link)
AMC	List of top 20 (link)
Ranker	List of top 50 (link)
The Top Tens	List of top 124 (link)
IMDb	List of top 20 (link)
Rant Lifestyle	List of top 25 (link)
Writer Without Money	List of top 10 (link)
Stuff Nation	List of top 5 (link)
Shark Ranks	List of top 20 (link)
News from Bostan Becks	List of top 10 (link)
Rock The Capital	List of top 20 (link)
The Cinemaholic	List of top 5 (link)
97.1 The Eagle Rocks	List of top 5 (link)
Taste of Cinema	List of top 30 (link)
The Boots have Come off	List of top 10 (link)
Reader's Digest	List of top 20 (link)
Earth Link	List of top 50 (link)
What Culture	List of top 20 (link)
Seraphic Press	List of top 10 (link)
Top Ten	List of top 10 (link)
Digital Spy	List of top 10 (link)
Hub Pages	List of top 10 (link)
Examiner	List of top 10 (link)
All Time Best	List of top 10 (link)
Nejlepsi Filmy	List of top 100 (link)
Mag For Women	List of top 10 (link)

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