Movies Like Swimming Upstream (2003)

Swimming Upstream is a 2003 drama film from Russell Mulcahy with a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Saving Mr. Banks and Race.

Drama

Saving Mr. Banks

2013

Author P.L. Travers looks back on her childhood while reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.

7.3

MagicScore

Race

2016

Based on the story of Jesse Owens, the athlete whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy.

7.3

MagicScore

Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story

1997

Breaking the Surface is about the tough times Greg Louganis had on his way to becoming one of the world's top Olympic divers.

5.4

MagicScore

Chariots of Fire

1981

In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell, a devout Christian born to Scottish missionaries in China, sees running as part of his worship of God's glory and refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath. Harold Abrahams overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart in his single-minded quest.

6.8

MagicScore

Berlin '36

2009

Berlin 36 is a 2009 German film telling the fate of Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She was replaced by the Nazi regime by an athlete later discovered to be a man. The film is based on a true story and was released in Germany on September 10, 2009. Reporters at Der Spiegel challenged the historical basis for many of the events in the film, pointing to arrest records and medical examinations indicating German authorities did not learn Dora Ratjen was male until 1938.

5.5

MagicScore

Rocketman

2019

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

7.3

MagicScore

The Swimmer

2021

Erez, a rising star in the Israeli swimming scene, arrives at a godforsaken training camp held in a boarding school. The winner of the competition held there wins one ticket to the Olympics. There he meets Nevo, beautiful, gifted, who awakens subconscious desires in him. However, their swimming coach does not believe in friendships between competitors. Warned to stay away from Nevo, Erez is still too attracted to him. In between practices, he attempts to act upon his feelings…

5.4

MagicScore

Dolores Claiborne

1995

Dolores Claiborne was accused of killing her abusive husband twenty years ago, but the court's findings were inconclusive and she was allowed to walk free. Now she has been accused of killing her employer, Vera Donovan, and this time there is a witness who can place her at the scene of the crime. Things look bad for Dolores when her daughter Selena, a successful Manhattan magazine writer, returns to cover the story.

7.3

MagicScore

Children of Glory

2006

During the ill-fated Hungarian revolution of 1956, Karcsi Szabo, star player on the water polo team, is torn between his love for a revolutionary student and his training for the Melbourne Olympics.

6.8

MagicScore

#10

Unbroken

2014

A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.

7.4

MagicScore

#11

Eileen

2023

During a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, young secretary Eileen becomes enchanted by Rebecca, the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a sinister path.

5.9

MagicScore

#12

Michael

2026

The story of Michael Jackson, one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music. His journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.

8.6

MagicScore

#13

Chandu Champion

2024

9 bullet wounds (one still in the body), three different sports and an unshakable determination to fulfill the dream of an Olympic Gold later, Muralikant Petkar, India's first Paralympian to finish at the top of the podium, got the recognition by his own country 45 years after he achieved what no athlete from his country could.

7.4

MagicScore

#14

100 Meters

2016

Based on the incredibly true story of a Spanish man with Multiple Sclerosis who tried to finish an Iron-Man: 3,8km swimming, 180km cycling and 42 running. And he was told that he could not make 100 meters.

7.4

MagicScore

#15

DIVE

2022

Mariel is a veteran elite diver who has one last chance at the Olympic Games. However, when a terrible truth comes to light, Mariel faces her biggest personal question: Is winning her true dream?

7.4

MagicScore

#16

I, Tonya

2017

Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.

7.5

MagicScore

#17

Eddie the Eagle

2016

The feel-good story of Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself—even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

7.2

MagicScore

#18

Dangal

2016

Dangal is an extraordinary true story based on the life of Mahavir Singh and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat. The film traces the inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers.

7.9

MagicScore

#19

Gold

2018

Set in 1948, the historic story of India's first Olympic medal post their independence.

7.1

MagicScore

#20

Death of a Neapolitan Mathematician

1992

Naples, 1959. Pure Mathematics professor Renato Caccioppoli, Bakunin's grandson, is a tortured soul. Recently discharged from the psychiatric hospital, left by his wife, and increasingly disillusioned with academia and the Communist Party, he lives his last days with painful detachment.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Swimming Upstream?

The top films similar to Swimming Upstream by MovieMagicScore are Saving Mr. Banks (7.3), Race (7.3), Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (5.4). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Swimming Upstream worth watching?

Swimming Upstream holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10 from 44 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Swimming Upstream?

Swimming Upstream (2003) is a drama film directed by Russell Mulcahy, starring Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Jesse Spencer.

Where can I find more recommendations like Swimming Upstream?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Saving Mr. Banks Movies like Race Movies like Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story Movies like Chariots of Fire Movies like Berlin '36 Movies like Rocketman

About movies like Swimming Upstream

This ranked list pairs Swimming Upstream (2003), a drama film from Russell Mulcahy, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Geoffrey Rush take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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