Film

Secretariat

Name: Secretariat
Genre: Drama
Released: 2010
Cast: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Scott Glenn, Dylan Walsh, Fred Thompson

Biopic

Secretariat is an underdog sports drama about a woman who inherits a failing horse farm and defies every expectation to breed a champion racehorse. It's earnest, handsomely mounted, and built on the thrill of watching impossible things become real. For anyone who loves stories about determination, breaking into closed worlds, or just the simple pleasure of a true underdog winning.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love stories of an underdog outsider learning a world from scratch, where the sporting drama is carried by warm, unshowy character work and the horses are treated with real reverence.

Skip it if you want racing itself in close-up, since the film spends long stretches on boardrooms, family kitchens and tense phone calls rather than on the track.

What it asks of you: Just over two hours at an unhurried, classical pace, it lets conversations breathe and sentiment rise slowly, so patience pays off more than quick cuts.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

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The Right Stuff1983

A sprawling, beautifully shot film about ordinary people achieving the extraordinary. Like Secretariat, it finds genuine drama in the grinding determination needed to break barriers—plus it has one of cinema's great ensembles.

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Seabiscuit2003

The obvious companion: another true story about an unlikely racehorse becoming a national symbol. It has warmth, strong performances from Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire, and real affection for its characters and their world.

But Structurally very similar to Secretariat, so you'll recognise the beats. The Depression-era setting is lovely but also familiar territory by now.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Secretariat

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

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Both explore the American mythology of self-made success and the person who refuses to accept their assigned place. But where Penny succeeds because she's good and decent, Lou succeeds despite—or because of—having no conscience at all.

Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerizing as Lou Bloom, a man with nothing who decides to become something through pure will and ruthlessness. Like Secretariat, it's about transformation and the American hunger to win—but it asks what that hunger looks like without moral restraint. Brilliantly made and genuinely unsettling.

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North by Northwest1959

An ordinary person (Cary Grant) thrust into an extraordinary situation and forced to become someone braver. It's lighter than Secretariat but has the same DNA: everyman proving competence under pressure, and the rush of watching it work.

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Cool Hand Luke1967

Paul Newman as a man who refuses to accept the world as it's been set for him. Like Penny, he's an outsider determined to reshape his circumstances through sheer will—though his story goes to much darker places.

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Hidden Figures2016

Three brilliant Black women forcing their way into NASA during the Space Race. Sharp, funny, propulsive, and genuinely moved by the quiet courage of people refusing to be invisible.

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Cinderella Man2005

Russell Crowe as a Depression-era boxer fighting his way back to dignity and his family's survival. It's sincere, beautifully choreographed, and has that same sense of watching someone exceed every limitation placed on them.

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A coach (Kevin Costner) helps a group of Mexican-American farmworkers' kids become cross-country champions. It has genuine warmth, celebrates overlooked talent, and finds real joy in the work of getting better.

But It's Disney-safe, which means some complexity about class and immigration gets smoothed away. The character arcs are broad and heartwarming rather than intricate.

Race2016

The story of Jesse Owens and his road to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, with Stephan James in a commanding performance. It captures the grinding specificity of athletic excellence and the weight of running while Black under Nazi scrutiny.

But It tries to juggle too many storylines and sometimes loses focus. The historical setting, while vital, can feel like a box to check rather than something fully inhabited.

Anne with an E2017

Both are about women (or girls) overcoming the world's narrow idea of who they are, but Anne is interior and introspective where Penny is outward and action-driven. One is about becoming, the other about proving.

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But It's based on a children's classic and leans into period detail heavily. If you want plot momentum over atmosphere and character, it will feel slow. The tone is also much more melancholy than Secretariat.

Senna2010

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A documentary about the racing driver Ayrton Senna, constructed almost entirely from archival footage and narrated through his own words and those of rivals. It's a masterpiece: visceral, thrilling, and genuinely tragic. You don't need to care about Formula One to be devastated by it.

But It's a documentary, so there are no dramatic scenes—only real ones. If you want narrative structure and character dialogue, this won't deliver that. It also requires familiarity with racing to fully land some moments.