Movies like The Hurt Business (2016)
The best movies like The Hurt Business (2016) are Boxing Gym (2010), Counterpunch (2017) and Murderball (2005). If The Hurt Business hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAthlete A (2020)7.5/10 from 299 votes
- NewestCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)Released 2025
Boxing Gym (2010)
Veteran award-winning documentarian Frederick Wiseman turns his lens on the world of boxing, specifically on a gym in Austin, Texas. Unobtrusively recording the simple comings and goings at the facility, Wiseman documents daily life at the gym, its many patrons, their routines, and its owner, Richard Lord.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Counterpunch (2017)
As boxing's popularity wanes, three fighters at different stages of their career make sacrifices to pursue their dreams of becoming champions.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurderball (2005)
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMcEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice (2011)
The film chronicles their back stories, prolific tennis careers and spirited rivalry, which propelled tennis into the international sports headlines of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. In addition, McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice spotlights their post-tennis careers as the two men went their separate ways, with McEnroe launching a high-profile broadcasting career, while Borg chose a more private life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Broke (2012)
According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, 60 percent of former NBA players are broke within five years of retirement. By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders, saddled with medical problems, and naturally prone to showing off, many pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life. Drawing surprisingly vulnerable confessions from retired stars like Keith McCants, Bernie Kosar and Andre Rison, as well as Marvin Miller, the former executive director of the MLB Players Association, this fascinating documentary digs into the psychology of men whose competitive nature can carry them to victory on the field and ruin off it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Last Gladiators (2012)
In ice hockey, no one is tougher than the "goon". Those players have one mission: to protect the star players at any price. Exploring the violent world of hockey fights, Academy Award winner Alex Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side") looks at the world of the NHL enforcers and specifically the career of Chris "Knuckles" Nilan who helped the Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Rise & Fall of WCW (2009)
WCW grew out of a southern promotion, into a giant that battled World Wrestling Entertainment every Monday Night. For the first time ever, the complete story of World Championship Wrestling, from Ted Turner’s purchase and entry into the world of professional wrestling, through the Monday Night Wars, and the company’s eventual collapse.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Blink of an Eye (2019)
Based on his book, Michael Waltrip recounts the 2001 Daytona 500 and the lighting-fast transition from elation to mourning - as he took the checkered flag to win while Dale Earnhardt, his friend and team owner, crashed in Turn 4 behind him. Earnhardt's death and the events of the race had a profound effect on Waltrip, shown in this documentary.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Russian Five (2018)
The story of the five Russian hockey stars who helped the Detroit Red Wings win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and created one of the most memorable chapters in Motor City sports history.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Takedown: The DNA of GSP (2014)
A look at the life and career of Ultimate Fighting Champion's welterweight world champ Georges St-Pierre, also known as "GSP".
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
No No: A Dockumentary (2014)
Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on LSD, then worked for decades counseling drug abusers. Dock's soulful style defined 1970s baseball as he kept hitters honest and embarrassed the establishment. An ensemble cast of teammates, friends, and family investigate his life on the field, in the media, and out of the spotlight.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Queen of the Ring (2025)
In a time when pro wrestling for women was illegal all over the country, a small town single mother embraces the danger to change culture as she dominates America's most masculine sport to become the first million dollar female athlete in history.
Why it matches: Fans watch both
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisConor McGregor: Notorious (2017)
Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. Filmed over the course of 4 years, Notorious is the exclusive, all-access account of Conor’s meteoric rise from claiming benefits and living in his parents' spare room in Dublin to claiming multiple championship UFC belts and seven figure pay-packets in Las Vegas.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Smashing Machine (2002)
An unflinching look at the life and story of Mark Kerr between 1999 and 2001, an intelligent, articulate, and emotionally vulnerable athlete, considered by many at the time to be the most dominant ultimate fighter in the world. A former Olympic wrestler, Kerr easily dominated all his opponents, earning him the nickname "The Smashing Machine." With the promise of big money and the euphoria of his early victories, Kerr must battle his injuries and inner fears. The shock of these fights takes a heavy toll on his body and mind, and Kerr attempts to overcome these physical and psychological traumas by turning to painkillers. Kerr's addiction is shown in its raw form, with the camera capturing him desperately soliciting drugs from friends and staff, and injecting painkillers into his veins. His shocking defeat to Fujita in Japan shows us a story that is sometimes difficult and heartbreaking to watch.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Undefeated (2011)
Set against the backdrop of a high school football season, Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin’s documentary UNDEFEATED is an intimate chronicle of three underprivileged student-athletes from inner-city Memphis and the volunteer coach trying to help them beat the odds on and off the field. For players and coaches alike, the season will be not only about winning games — it will be about how they grapple with the unforeseeable events that are part of football and part of life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this100%: Julian Edelman (2019)
A look inside Julian Edelman's journey from major injury to Super Bowl MVP in 2019.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Athlete A (2020)
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Weight of Gold (2020)
Just like one in five Americans, many Olympic athletes similarly face serious mental health challenges and struggle to find the necessary support and resources. The Weight of Gold seeks to inspire discussion about mental health issues, encourage people to seek help, and highlight the need for readily available support.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998)
This documentary follows superstar Bret Hart during his last year in the WWF. The film documents the tensions that resulted in The Montreal Screwjob, one of the most controversial events in the history of professional wrestling, in which Vince McMahon, Shawn Micheals, and others, legitimately conspired behind the scenes to go against the script and remove Bret Hart as champion.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStudent Athlete (2018)
Unveils the exploitative world of high-revenue college sports through the stories of young men at varying stages in their athletic careers.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Red Army (2015)
A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Am Ali (2014)
Unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali's personal archive of "audio journals" as well as interviews and testimonials from his inner circle of family and friends are used to tell the legend's life story.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFacing Nolan (2022)
In the world of Major League Baseball no one has created a mythology like Nolan Ryan. Told from the point of view of the hitters who faced him and the teammates who revered him, Facing Nolan is the definitive documentary of a Texas legend.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Pony Excess (2010)
From 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University were riding high on the backs of the vaunted "Pony Express" backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program to the city's oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. In 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out "the death penalty" on a college football program for the first and only time in its history. SMU would be without football for two years, and the fan base would be without an identity for 20 more until the win in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl. This is the story of Dallas in the 1980's and the greed, power, and corruption that spilled from the oil fields onto the football field and all the way to the Governor's Mansion.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Game Changers (2019)
From the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas and the anthropology lab at Dartmouth, to a strongman gym in Berlin and the bushlands of Zimbabwe, the world is introduced to elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons, and everyday heroes—each on a mission to create a seismic shift in the way we eat and live.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMr. Calzaghe (2015)
The story of the rise to glory of boxer Joe Calzaghe.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Rubble Kings (2015)
Through archival footage Nicholson tells the story of the real Warriors that walked the streets of New York City in the 1970s and the harsh reality of gang life in a city that seemed to be falling apart.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Fighting for a Generation: 20 Years of the UFC (2013)
The UFC has been breaking records and shattering expectations for 20 years -- this documentary traces the history of the company
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Facing Ali (2009)
Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Hurt Business?
The closest matches to The Hurt Business are Boxing Gym (2010), Counterpunch (2017) and Murderball (2005). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Hurt Business?
People who watched The Hurt Business most often go on to Boxing Gym (2010), Counterpunch (2017) and Murderball (2005).
What is the highest-rated movie like The Hurt Business?
Athlete A (2020), rated 7.5/10 by 299 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Hurt Business?
Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Hurt Business?
Yes: Boxing Gym (2010), Counterpunch (2017) and Murderball (2005).
How are movies similar to The Hurt Business chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Hurt Business, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.