The Way Back (2020)

Gavin O'Connor makes another appearance with the most recent sports film in this gallery—his 2020 film The Way Back. Similar to Warrior, O'Connor makes use of the sport (in this case high school basketball) as a vehicle to tell his character drama. We follow Ben Affleck's Jack, an alcoholic struggling to get through each day, but who finds some purpose in his new coaching gig for his alma mater. While it isn't the solution, and the film itself is rather sobering with its heavy subject matter and personal connection to its star, it's an uplifting tale nonetheless with a powerhouse performance by Affleck.