Film
McEnroe
A portrait of John McEnroe that moves past tabloid caricature to examine the man inside the myth. Director Julien Schnabel lets McEnroe reflect on his volcanic temper, his artistry, his marriages, and what it costs to be iconic. It's intimate without being soft, asking whether excellence and rage are inseparable.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy hearing a sporting legend argue with his own reputation, and you like documentaries built around one candid voice rather than a parade of experts.
Skip it if you want a neutral, rigorous account of the rivalries and matches, since this is mostly one man revisiting his own story with family chiming in from the sidelines.
What it asks of you: Just under two hours of largely conversational talk, unhurried, with the attention resting on one face rather than on fast cutting or spectacle.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Diego Maradona2019
Asif Kapadia's documentary finds the human beneath the legend, tracing how genius and self-destruction became intertwined. Like McEnroe, it asks what price fame extracts from the gifted.
But It's bleak and stays bleak. If you want uplift or redemption, this offers neither, only clarity.
The Last Dance2020
A ten-part examination of Michael Jordan's last season with the Chicago Bulls. It's fascinated by what separates the greatest from everyone else—and how that separation isolates them, both on and off the court.
But Very long, and repetitive about Jordan's competitiveness. If you don't care about basketball, nothing here will change your mind.
Hoop Dreams1994
Three hours following two basketball prospects from high school to college. It's less about sports than about American class, race, and who gets to dream. Quiet, observational, devastatingly honest.
But Slow-paced and unglamorous. It watches people live their lives rather than construct a narrative. Patience required.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from McEnroe
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Queen's Gambit2020
Both are character studies of a competitor whose greatest weapon and greatest liability are the same: an inability to accept anything less than perfection.
A limited series about a chess prodigy in the 1960s. It shares McEnroe's interest in how excellence lives inside a person—the obsession, the isolation, the brilliant instability that cannot be separated from the gift.
But Heavy on 1960s aesthetic and fashion. If you're immune to that particular visual mood, the show's pace can feel glacial.
More like this (6)
Man with a Camera1958
Spike Lee directed this four-part series about Arthur Ashe's life and legacy. It's interested in dignity, legacy, and the burden of being a symbol. A meditation on what excellence demands and what it cannot protect you from.
But Limited by its reverent tone. It's more hagiography than interrogation, which suits Ashe's legacy but may feel safer than the McEnroe film.
Senna2010
Asif Kapadia again, this time on the F1 driver Ayrton Senna. It uses archival footage to build a portrait of obsession, rivalry, and a man who couldn't stop pushing even when it killed him.
But Assumes some knowledge of Formula 1. If you don't know the sport, the technical details may obscure the human story.
Free Solo2018
A climber who scales El Capitan without ropes. It's about the psychology of someone for whom normal risk assessment doesn't apply—recognizable if you've seen McEnroe's courtside fury.
But If heights make you dizzy, the camera work will actively punish you. Also, the ending is a foregone conclusion, which flattens tension.
The Two Escobars2010
Thirty minutes on the footballer Andrés Escobar and Pablo Escobar the narco-kingpin, both legendary in Colombia. Examines how greatness becomes tragic when history has other plans.
But Relies on your interest in Colombian football and cartel history. If neither speaks to you, the parallels won't either.
The Battered Bastards of Baseball2014
Underdogs who started their own league in the 1970s. It's scrappy and heartfelt, about fathers and sons and proving something to the world, but without McEnroe's darkness.
But Folksy and sentimental where McEnroe is complicated. The feel-good energy can tip into saccharine if you're not in the mood.
Pumping Iron1977
Like McEnroe, it documents someone consumed by excellence to the point of estrangement from normal life. Both ask: what does it cost to be legendary?
Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding documentary, shot in grainy 16mm. It's old, it's weird, it's an artifact that captures obsession in its purest form—people reshaping their bodies toward an impossible ideal.
But The sexism is casual and relentless. The sport itself is niche. If neither appeals to you, you won't get much from the experience.
People
Cast
John McEnroeSelf- Patty SmythSelf
- Kevin McEnroeSelf
Emily McEnroeSelf- Anna McEnroeSelf
- Ava McEnroeSelf
- Mark McEnroeSelf
- Patrick McEnroeSelf
Billie Jean KingSelf
Björn BorgSelf
Keith RichardsSelf
Directing
- Barney DouglasDirector
Writing
- Barney DouglasWriter
Production
- Gary SwainExecutive Producer
- Oli HarbottleExecutive Producer
- Simon LazenbyExecutive Producer
- Stephen EspinozaExecutive Producer
- Vinnie MalhotraExecutive Producer
- Aoife DelanyPost Producer
- Anna GodasProducer
- Paddy KellyProducer
- Victoria BarrellProducer