Movies Like Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story

If you liked Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story (1997), a drama movie directed by Steven Hilliard Stern, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Men of Honor (2000)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in…
2
Rocketman (2019)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
3
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, accepts. After the unique beginning to their love affair, the…
4
Where the Truth Lies (2005)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
An ambitious reporter probes the reasons behind the sudden split of a 1950s comedy team.
5
Bessie (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
6
Causeway (2022)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
A US soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home in New Orleans. When she meets local mechanic James, the pair begin to forge an unexpected bond.
7
Hounddog (2008)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
8
The Chronology of Water (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Plagued by an abusive childhood, a woman finds escape in competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction before ultimately finding her voice through writing.
9
Ordinary People (1980)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always…
10
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
Former major league baseball player Moe Berg lives a double life working for the Office of Strategic Services in World War II Europe.
11
Downhill Racer (1969)
★ 6/10Also drama
An ambitious young skier, determined to break all existing records, is contemptuous of the teamwork advocated by the US coach when they go to Europe for the Olympics.
12
Unbroken (2014)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.
13
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
The radical true story behind three teenage surfers from Venice Beach, California, who took skateboarding to the extreme and changed the world of sports forever. Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva and Jay Adams are the Z-Boys, a…
14
Valentino (1977)
★ 5.8/10Also drama
The untimely death of silent screen star Rudolph Valentino prompts the many women in his past to reminisce about his troubled rise to superstardom.
15
Breath (2017)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
A pair of teenagers in Western Australia looking to escape the monotony of life in a small town take up surfing lessons from a guy named Sando.
16
A Mouthful of Air (2021)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
Julie is a new mom and children's book author, who escapes into the bright Crayola-colored world of her creation in order to leave behind the darkness caused by her post-partum depression.
17
Life (2015)
★ 6/10Also drama
In 1955, young photographer Dennis Stock develops a close bond with actor James Dean while shooting pictures of the rising Hollywood star.
18
The Color of Money (1986)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Former pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent…
19
J. Edgar (2011)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
As the face of law enforcement in the United States for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his…
20
Man with No Past (2025)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Waking up in an unfamiliar city, a man with no memory must confront the mysteries of his own identity. However, his desperate search to uncover the past pits him against a powerful enemy, leading to a showdown that…