With the Harbowl on its way, it’s time to get in game mode. Since there are no actual games to quench your thirst, might as well pop in a movie or stream something to pass the time. Sure you could turn to Rudy or Varsity Blues, but you’ve seen those like a billion times, and, outside of the Ali Larter whipped cream bikini scene, you can only watch them so many times. Here are 8 football movies you may not have seen, but really should:
Undefeated
This documentary of a 2009 high school football team from Memphis is so raw that it easily trumps any Hollywood script. While it’s a story about a team trying to win their first playoff game, it’s really about a bunch of inner city kids fighting to do something in life. Netflix DVD Amazon Instant iTunes
Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football
If you wanna talk about movies that are bigger than football, here you go. “Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football” chronicles the lives and troubles of a team from a predominantly Arab-American school. What it is, is a film that brings a completely new angle to the classic football documentary. Netflix DVD Netflix Instant
Big Fan
If you’re the kinda guy who tunes into the Super Bowl for the commercials and could care less what happens on the field regardless of the teams playing, Big Fan might be the best movie on this list for you. The Patton Oswalt vehicle actually has little to do with what happens between the hash marks. It’s darkly funny and about as serious as a movie about a face-painted dude can be. Netflix DVD Amazon Instant iTunes
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Even though it might sound like an epic debate team match nowadays, Harvard versus Yale actually once actually meant something on the gridiron. This movie is an awesome recollection of the 1968 matchup between the rivals, complete with archival footage and interviews. Oh yeah, and Grumpy Cat Tommy Lee Jones played on the offensive line for Harvard, so there’s that. Netflix DVD Netflix Instant iTunes
Head Games
Let’s just start with the fact that this is NOT the movie to get you amped for the big game. What it is, is an honest look at what concussions can do to a dude who hits or gets hit for a living. With more and more research coming out about the long-term effects of concussions, now would be a good time to watch this documentary. Whether you’d want to strap on some pads an a helmet afterwards is up to you. Netflix DVD Netflix Instant Amazon Instant iTunes
Friday Night Lights
We’re tossing this one on here mostly because people often think Friday Night Lights was just a TV show. If you were unaware, before the cult series hit the tube, there was a movie that was damn great. Netflix DVD
Go Tigers!
Take the idea behind Varsity Blues and inject it with steroids and make it real life, and you have Go Tigers! Depending on where you are from, this story about a small town built around football is either insanely shocking or very common. Whichever it is, it is worth a watch. Netflix DVD Netflix Instant Amazon Instant iTunes
4th & Goal
If you need something to tide you over until the next season of Hard Knocks, check out 4th & Goal. It follows six guys trying to make it into the NFL. It’s the story about the insane talent, work ethic, and luck it takes to be part of the less than 1% of high school football players that ever make it to the big stage. Netflix DVD Netflix Instant Amazon Instant iTunes
