7 of the Best Underdog Stories in Cinema History

Hot Rod

Hot Rod is the ultimate underdog story. Struggling main character trying to break into the big leagues? Check. An overly-aggressive antagonist doing everything they can to crush the main character’s spirits? Check. A climactic final scene where the main character defeats the antagonist by using an elaborate (definitely legitimate) Tai Chi move to make them shit themselves? Um, check. 

Coming from the incredible minds of the Lonely Island, this is perhaps one of the most criminally overlooked movies of all time - gaining just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. Thirty. Nine. Percent. I’m angry just thinking about it. Time to Google ‘How to do the Tai Chi move from Hot Rod’ and exact some revenge, I think… George White (Assistant Editor)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Superhero origins make for some of the best underdog stories, from the meek and mild Clark Kent embracing his Kryptonian heritage as Superman, to the weedy yet courageous Steve Rogers’s star-spangled glow-up into Captain America. Into the Spider-Verse builds upon this tradition with a multiversal passing-of-the-torch story, as Peter Parker is killed in battle and teenager Miles Morales is taught to inherit his great responsibility by the Spider-Men of alternate universes.

Miles has big shoes to fill, but instead opts for a pair of Air Jordan 1s, putting his own spin on the Spider-Man legacy with a streetwise costume and additional superpowers. He has as much to prove to the audience as he does his own hero-less city, but Into the Spider-Verse brazenly establishes Miles as a superhero for a new generation. The already-iconic inverted shot of the new Spider-Man leaping from a skyscraper is emblematic of the film’s message: you can’t rise up without first taking a leap of faith.

Pretty Woman

Knee-high boots, flashy cars and an unlikely love story that charmed audiences everywhere - Pretty Woman is a cult classic, and a classic underdog story too, with sex worker Vivian (Julia Roberts) rising to high society with the help of Edward Lewis (Richard Gere). Made in 1990, it hasn’t aged perfectly, and certainly has its fair share of stereotypes, but we can’t dismiss the absolutely iconic shopping scene that is synonymous with the film, and which is one of my favourite underdog moments on screen. Rejected from an expensive boutique by a crowd of condescending saleswomen, the thrill of this scene kicks in upon Vivian’s return where, dressed head-to-toe in designer gear, she utters the now famous “You work on commission, right? Big mistake” line. A satisfying takedown of class snobbery, it’s passed the test of time for a reason. Lizzy O’Riordan (Editorial Assistant)

Legally Blonde

When tackling the concept of an underdog, most of our minds undoubtedly fall to the world of male sports… and to balls. Basketballs. Footballs. Baseballs. Rugby balls. (If there’s a spherical object in the vicinity, they will play with it). But when I think of strength, of underestimated power, I don’t think of men and balls. I think of blonde hair and a pink blazer.

Legally Blonde first hit our screens in 2001, showcasing protagonist Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) at her finest. When her boyfriend dumps her and swans off to Harvard Law, sorority sister Elle is left dejected and alone. Never one to give up a fight, she drags out her textbooks and starts reading - and gets accepted into Harvard the following term. What began as a desperate ploy to secure a marriage proposal soon becomes an impassioned display of talent. Laughed out of almost every room she enters (for the mere idea that being a woman and loving fashion makes you somehow unworthy of respect), Elle soon impresses students and professors alike with her immense intellect, and her commitment to her own moral compass, even in the tricky court of law. Abbie Leeson

Strictly Ballroom

Packed with delightfully stylised dance sequences, decadent costumes and unique arrangements of famous tunes, this first instalment of Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy punches well above both its tiny budget and short ninety-minute runtime. Luhrmann’s trademark over-the-top style works perfectly against the pretentious backdrop of amateur competitive dance. Emotions run comically high, careers are ruined, and the dance federation rules with a mafia-esque iron fist. This uber-sincerity is hilariously undermined throughout by a Greek chorus of precocious child dancers. 

Despite the melodrama, Scott and Fran’s struggle for self-expression never feels trivial. Strictly Ballroom follows in the Footloose tradition of dance-focused underdog films: though generational pressures threaten to thwart them at every turn, they will fight tradition and establishment, and dance their own way. Effortlessly entertaining, Luhrmann’s debut feature film is not only a heart-warming underdog story, but also an underdog itself - the hidden gem of his star-studded catalogue. Sam Marshall

Napoleon Dynamite

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is built off the back of dystopian youth adult fiction set in the not-too-distant future where the country of Panem – formerly North America – holds an annual, televised blood bath pitting teenagers against each other until only one remains. On the face of it, the film’s protagonist, Katniss, is an obvious underdog having come from a poorer district. However, as the narrative progresses, the story shifts to something much bigger. Instead, the underdog we cheer throughout is that of the rebels who end up launching a full-scale revolution against the capital. It’s an honest, brutal portrayal of abuse of power and the strength that can be found in rebellion; a message younger viewers across the world really need right now. Hollie Anderson