Between the Winter Olympics, the NBA Finals (go Knicks!) and the FIFA World Cup, 2026 has been an especially sporty year so far, so it feels fitting that this year marks the big 50th anniversary of one of the greatest sports movies of all time — we’re talking, of course, about that legendary boxing flick, “Rocky.”
Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, the 1976 classic is a rousing, rags-to-riches underdog story that not only redefined cinema but also, through those energetic training montages, that instantly iconic score and Stallone’s own dogged determination to get the movie made, is one of the most inspiring watches we’ve seen on any screen.
In the five decades since the Best Picture-winning ring drama first premiered in theaters, “Rocky” was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and spawned eight sequels, including the critically acclaimed “Creed” trilogy. But this year’s big anniversary is an opportune time to go back to the Balboa beginnings with a “Rocky” rewatch. Helpfully, the sports drama is available to stream on Netflix right now.
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What is ‘Rocky’ about?
ROCKY (1976) | Official Trailer | MGM – YouTube
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Directed by John G. Avildsen (who won the Oscar for his scrappy, naturalistic filmmaking here), “Rocky” stars actor-writer Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, a small-time club fighter from working-class Philadelphia fighter plucked out of obscurity by the reigning world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). With Creed’s scheduled opponent unable to compete due to an injured hand, Balboa only has five weeks to prep for the fight of his life.
Along with chronicling Rocky’s tenacious training for 15 rounds against the greatest boxer in the world — most famously depicted in that “Gonna Fly Now”-soundtracked, stair-climbing Philadelphia Museum of Art sequence — the drama also shows off Rocky’s soft side, following his tender courtship of Adrianna “Adrian” Pennino (Talia Shire), a shy woman working at the local pet store.
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Why ‘Rocky’ is worth a rewatch on Netflix
(Image credit: United Artists)
Along with Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” and its own spinoff “Creed,” “Rocky” is one of the rare boxing movies that transcends its sports-movie genre by focusing on the individual beyond the fighter.
We don’t just root for Rocky in the ring as he goes from everyman to champion; we cheer on his personal growth, his romantic relationship and his resilient, empathetic nature. It’s that grounded, character-driven quality that has allowed the athletic drama to endure as a deeply human story of passion, pathos and perseverance.
Though its franchise successors have varied in quality from top-notch (2015’s “Creed”) to TKO (1990’s “Rocky V”), the 1976 original is an undisputed film classic that will be just as uplifting and gripping 50 years from now. So go in for one more round!
Stream “Rocky” on Netflix now
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