In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver. Machin lodges with Mrs Hammond, whose husband was killed in an accident at Weaver's, but his impulsive and angry nature stop him from being able to reach her as he would like. He becomes increasingly frustrated with his situation, and this is not helped by the more straightforward enticements of Mrs Weaver.... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UK only | 1 Month Free Trial | 20 May 2016 | 2665 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 79% |  Report: Broken Link |   |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 10 Mar 2021 | 5356 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 77% | Report: Broken Link | |
| IRELAND only | 1 Month Free Trial | 27 Aug 2021 | 3440 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 72% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 16 Feb 2025 | 392 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 81% | Report: Broken Link | |
![Its HD [This Sporting Life]](/images/logos/icons/itshd.png){kind=icon} | WORLDWIDE | ? | 01 Oct 2018 | 3572 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 88% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 23 Dec 2021 | 583 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 43% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | Free Credit | 02 Jul 2024 | 164 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 32% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 09 Aug 2019 | 117 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 31% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 20 Dec 2023 | 12 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 11% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 05 Nov 2013 | 149 | HD | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 31% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | WORLDWIDE | ? | 04 Dec 2013 | 18 | SD / TV | Watch OnlineStream Instantly | 9% | Report: Broken Link | |
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 13 Dec 2021 | 815 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 76% |  Report: Broken Link | |
 | UK only | N/A | 13 Dec 2021 | 51 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Post | 11% | Report: Broken Link | |
 | USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 13 Dec 2021 | 125 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 13% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 13 Dec 2021 | 7498 | SD / DVD | DVD RentalRent by Mail | 78% | Report: Broken Link | |
| Movie Source | Available | Offers | Added | Views | Quality | Format | Rating | Link | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK only | 30 Day Free Trial | 21 Mar 2016 | 289 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 63% | Report: Broken Link | |
| UK only | N/A | 21 Mar 2016 | 107 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Post | 28% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 13 Dec 2021 | 390 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 13% | Report: Broken Link | |
| USA only | 1 Month Free Trial | 21 Mar 2016 | 6693 | HD / BR | Blu Ray RentalRent by Mail | 97% | Report: Broken Link | |
In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver. Machin lodges with Mrs Hammond, whose husband was killed in an accident at Weaver's, but his impulsive and angry nature stop him from being able to reach her as he would like. He becomes increasingly frustrated with his situation, and this is not helped by the more straightforward enticements of Mrs Weaver.
Leave your thoughts about This Sporting Life.
| VarietyVariety StaffLindsay Anderson, making his debut as a feature director, brings the keen, observant eye of a documentary man to many vivid episodes without sacrificing the story line. |
| Chicago TribuneJohn PetrakisIt's impossible not to appreciate the remarkable performances (both Harris and Roberts were nominated for Oscars) or the realistic rugby scenes that earned Harris a broken leg. |
| GuardianPeter BradshawThis Sporting Life shrewdly anticipates modern Britain: a dour, yet thrilling and exhilarating film. |
| Daily Telegraph (UK)Sukhdev SandhuI'm tempted to see it as one of the strongest films of that period, every frame of which pulsates with drama, class confusion and erotic force. |
| PopMattersMatt MazurThis unique and essential film stands out as being the best of its genre, showcasing a blunt sexuality along with a modern, smartly-edited sensibility. |
| Time OutTom MilneA reminder that something really was stirring in those days of the British New Wave before it frittered itself away. |
| Empire MagazineDavid ParkinsonThis has its flaws and certainly its detractors but this dated British social-realist epic has a power to it. |
| Times (UK)Wendy IdeI can't think of a sport movie that is better photographed. The black and white cinematography is gorgeously stark, the perfect medium for this bleakly unforgiving tale. |
| Monthly Film BulletinMFB CriticsAnderson's visual sense is remarkably strong for a film that relies for much of its length on a highly complex and intriguing flashback narrative. |
| User ReviewNia ESuperb film! Richard Harris is blistering as the strangely sympathetic but utterly terrifying Frank. Rachel Roberts manages to out-act Harris, putting in an astonishing performance as a lonely, ice-cold, sickly widow. The music gives the film a marvellous sense of dread. Anderson's direction is wonderful, particularly in the scenes between Harris and Roberts. |
