Movies Like Prefontaine (1997)

Prefontaine is a 1997 drama, romance film from Steve James with a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Downhill Racer and 1:54.

Drama Romance

Downhill Racer

1969

An ambitious young skier, determined to break all existing records, is contemptuous of the teamwork advocated by the US coach when they go to Europe for the Olympics.

5.8

MagicScore

1:54

2016

Tim, a shy 16-year-old athlete with a natural gift for running, is dealing with the loss of his mother, as well as his sexuality. After a personal video is posted to social media, Tim's private life is about to explode into the public eye.

6.6

MagicScore

Sarah Prefers to Run

2013

When Sarah has a chance to go to a first class university and to join its premiere athletic club, her suburban mother is fearful of the change and refuses to help financially. But Sarah's roommate knows that they will get a grant if they marry. Sarah agrees but only to discover that her true heart lies elsewhere. Sarah prefers to run.

5.9

MagicScore

Lorena: Light-Footed Woman

2019

A young woman of the Tarahumara, well-known for their extraordinary long distance running abilities, wins ultramarathons seemingly out of nowhere despite running in sandals.

6.7

MagicScore

The Cutting Edge

1992

Two former Olympians, one a figure skater and the other a hockey player, pin their hopes of one last shot at Olympic glory on one another. That is, of course, if they can keep from killing each other in the process...

7.2

MagicScore

Without Limits

1998

The life of renowned runner Steve Prefontaine and his relationship with legendary coach Bill Bowerman.

6.5

MagicScore

The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold

2006

Two ice skaters develop a love-hate relationship while dreaming of Olympic glory.

6.5

MagicScore

Olympic Dreams

2019

In the Olympic Athlete Village, a young cross-country skier bonds with a volunteer dentist after her competition ends.

6.1

MagicScore

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

#10

The Gabby Douglas Story

2014

The true story of Gabby Douglas who becomes the first African American to be named Individual All-Around Champion in artistic gymnastics at the Olympic Games.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

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

#12

The Boys in the Boat

2023

The triumphant underdog story of the University of Washington men's rowing team, who stunned the world by competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

7.2

MagicScore

#13

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

#14

Miracle

2004

When college coach Herb Brooks is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. men's Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe: the heavily-favored Soviet team.

7.1

MagicScore

#15

Gold

2018

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

7.1

MagicScore

#16

Cool Runnings

1993

When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican bobsled team.

7.0

MagicScore

#17

Three Seconds

2017

The story is set at the 1972 Munich Olympics where the U.S. team lost the basketball championship for the first time in 36 years. The final moments of the final game have become one of the most controversial events in Olympic history. With play tied, the score table horn sounded during a second free throw attempt that put the U.S. ahead by one. But the Soviets claimed they had called for a time out before the basket and confusion ensued. The clock was set back by three seconds twice in a row and the Russians finally prevailed at the very last. The U.S. protested, but a jury decided in the USSR’s favor and Team USA voted unanimously to refuse its silver medals. The Soviet players have been treated as heroes at home.

7.0

MagicScore

#18

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

#19

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

#20

Swimming Upstream

2003

A young man aspiring for recognition of his talents battles against his estranged father's sentiment towards him as the father deals with his own demons.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Prefontaine?

The top films similar to Prefontaine by MovieMagicScore are Downhill Racer (5.8), 1:54 (6.6), Sarah Prefers to Run (5.9). Each shares drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Prefontaine worth watching?

Prefontaine holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10 from 84 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Prefontaine?

Prefontaine (1997) is a drama, romance film directed by Steve James, starring Jared Leto, R. Lee Ermey, Ed O'Neill.

Where can I find more recommendations like Prefontaine?

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 Downhill Racer Movies like 1:54 Movies like Sarah Prefers to Run Movies like Lorena: Light-Footed Woman Movies like The Cutting Edge Movies like Without Limits

About movies like Prefontaine

This ranked list pairs Prefontaine (1997), a drama and romance film from Steve James, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jared Leto 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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