Race (2016)

Race (2016) tells the true story of Jesse Owens, a gifted young African‑American athlete from the 1930s who rises from poverty to become one of the greatest track-and-field stars in history. Recruited to Ohio State by coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis), Owens (Stephan James) trains relentlessly while confronting the racism and limited opportunities he faces at home. As the world hurtles toward the Berlin Olympics, political debates over a U.S. boycott and Nazi Germany’s plan to showcase Aryan supremacy place Owens at the center of a global moral and athletic showdown. Watching Race, you’ll experience both the intimate human drama of Jesse’s personal struggles and the high-stakes intensity of elite sport. The film balances gritty training sequences and nail‑biting race footage with tense political maneuvering—featuring figures like Leni Riefenstahl, Joseph Goebbels, and Adolf Hitler—so the triumphs on the track resonate against a fraught historical backdrop. Performances are anchored by Stephan James’s determined, sympathetic portrayal and Jason Sudeikis’s tough, driven coach, giving the story emotional weight. The result is an inspiring, sometimes uncomfortable drama about courage, identity, and the power of athletic achievement to challenge prejudice. It’s a stirring watch for fans of biographical sports films and anyone interested in a human story set against a pivotal moment in history.

Actors: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Eli Goree

Director: Stephen Hopkins

Runtime: 134 min

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sport

6.2 /10 56 /100 7.1 /10 6.3 /10