The Best Ice Skating Movies

With the 2022 Winter Olympics approaching, I’m excited about ice skating. So, it’s time for me to review some exciting ice skating movies that can both inspire you or help you spend your Sunday evening. These are the top 6 skating films and documentaries about the insane kids who strap knives to their feet and make it the most beautiful sport ever.

I, Tonya  

Figure skating is an elegant sport that looks like a fairy-tale: the participants fly over the shiny ice in dazzling costumes, flapping their invisible wings and impressing the audience. But, behind all this magic, there are years of hard work, training, and countless falls. Graceful ice nymphs seem to be ideals of resilience and gentleness, beauty and charm, but Tonya Harding is a stranger in this Garden of Eden.
The first American figure skater who mastered the triple Axel seems to have been born and lived in hell: a despotic mother, violence from her husband, and humiliation from the power figures in the skating world. Under such conditions, Harding was not afraid to show the whole world her nature as a street fighter: rebellious, rude, and furious. The story of Tonya Harding is not only about a strong-willed victory over other people’s prejudices and skepticism but an investigation into the true causes of the scandalous story of the champion’s fall.  A black comedy about an athlete with a broken soul who laughs where it is needed to cry and, like Olympic champions, does not let go of a smile, no matter how painful it is inside.

Ice Princess   

Can you call yourself a millennial if you don’t adore a Michelle Trachtenberg-starring teen sports movie? In the Ice Princess movie, a young woman named Casey Carlyle attempts to realize her dream of becoming a professional figure skater. However, her mother believes she should concentrate on her studies so that Casey can follow in her footsteps and be admitted to Harvard. This is an ideal movie to introduce your children to the world of figure skating while also encouraging them to pursue their aspirations.

Go Figure  

Go Figure was released in 2005, the same year as Ice Princess, and it has all the hallmarks of an adolescent movie from the middle of the 2000s. And its original Disney Channel status makes it a fantastic film for children and a wonderful walk down memory lane for you.  A 14-year-old girl named Katelin is devoted to succeeding in the world of figure skating. So, when she learns that a well-known Russian coach Natasha Goberman will be visiting a nearby private school to teach, the girl’s ambition of becoming a figure skater in the story appears to be almost a reality. But this ice princess must join the girls’ hockey team because she will require a scholarship to attend. And while that might get her into the school, the hockey players and skaters don’t immediately accept her. The movie has everything you love – a good story, laughter, and happy endings.

The Cutting Edge 

Get your VHS player out or visit Hulu to see this old movie. The 1992 film, which takes place on the ice and around the rink, blends the best aspects of romantic comedies and sports movies. A wealthy, admittedly snobby figure skater from The Cutting Edge is matched with an injured, benched hockey player to compete in the Winter Olympics. Watch as these two transform from hating one another to working some magic both on and off the ice. There are numerous sequels, which is fantastic news if you enjoyed this original.

Ice Girls   

Mattie Dane, a gifted 15-year-old figure skater, will have to work harder than ever to recover and maintain her title after suffering a severe injury during competition. She struggles to fit in when her family is forced to relocate to a tiny town along the route owing to financial difficulties. She eventually meets the proprietor of a nearby skating rink, who helps her regain her confidence on the ice. This is a fantastic family-friendly figure skating film featuring an exciting plot, sports rivalries, and some stunning skating outfits that any young girl (or any girl, to be honest) can appreciate.

Blades of Glory  

There had to be a comedy somewhere on this list, right? Will Ferrell fans would also see this as one of his funniest and best movies. Watch as Chazz and Jimmy, two rival skaters previously prohibited from competing in their sport, team up to skate as a pair. Get ready for a wild evening and watch these two mature men set aside their disagreements, get into their incredibly elaborated and glittery spandex, and compete as a team in this funny movie.

(Note: This movie is PG-13 rated; you might want to save it for older children.) 

Follow Your Ice Dreams  

Here you go, my top 6 of the most exciting ice skating movies of all time. In addition, there are some fantastic ice skating television programs: Spinning Out was a wild Netflix binge, and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers on Disney+ is a pretty good show. So whether you’re an ice skating pro or a dreamer, you’d enjoy these films.