Borg vs. McEnroe

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Borg vs. McEnroe

R

2018

1h 48m

Drama

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84%

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146 Reviews

73%

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1,000+ Ratings

It's the summer of 1980, and Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American John McEnroe. With three days until the tournament begins, Borg trains religiously in his lavish Monaco home, aided by his coach and mentor Lennart and girlfriend Mariana.

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Critics Consensus

Borg vs McEnroe makes tennis improbably cinematic -- and brings the absolute best out of Shia LaBeouf, who delivers some of the best work of his career.

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G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

McEnroe, Faraut asserts, was "a man who played on the edge of his senses." His film brings that home.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 31, 2018

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

A psychological portrait of competition, friendship and a complicated, temperamental prodigy, whose outbursts and lack of self-control threaten to derail what promises to be a fruitful athletic career.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 19, 2018

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

"Borg vs. McEnroe" is an anecdotally gratifying, psychologically nuanced, and dramatically agile character study of Borg, but, despite its extended depictions of a celebrated match, it's not a satisfying tennis movie at all.

Apr 15, 2018

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Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

Borg vs McEnroe loses momentum during its tennis sequences, but thats just a minor complaint. Advantage LaBeouf.

Feb 20, 2022

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Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

Between this and Battle Of The Sexes, it makes you wonder why there aren't more tennis movies.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 19, 2022

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Gives insight into the lives of these two gold star athletes, revealing the men behind the game.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 4, 2021

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Stephen Z

One of the best movies I've ever seen. A must watch for tennis fans or sports fans in general. I know the names and some history of Borg and McEnroe but this movie depicts so perfectly where the differences and similarities of each man were and how their upbringing led them in a specific direction. Borg cold and emotionless, only alive when he wins, reminds me of watching Nadal for the past 20 years. McEnroe spirited and outspoken, brought a new world to tennis. They were great opponents and the sport is better for these two have played it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

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Audience Member

Maahhh. It's a biopic of each player though far more of Borg which I didn't love. It's also heavily subtitled and he spoke swede so I guess that's fine but I grew tired reading subtitles. I grew up watching all this so it means something to me I just wasn't blown away by the film. Oh, and Shia is insanely on point with McEnroe=Great Job!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

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Jerod S

The casting of this movie was spot on - and the way it told each player's back story was excellent. The contrast of their styles and tempers made their rivalry and friendship worth a film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/16/24

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Dan R

Great movie for a sports or non sports fan, extremely gripping, emotions are felt through the story telling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/08/24

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Gareth v

One of 2018's more underrated movies. As someone who isn't a tennis fan, I found the telling of this great sporting rivalry to be meaningful and well executed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

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Kyle M

One of the best contemporary sports films as it serves balance and strikes intensely. Without looking up the score of the climatically thrilling match, the film properly builds up through both sides' humble determinations with quite a focus detailing their personal stakes, which is the main play over the sport being typically formulaic by statistics. Within the buildup, aligned with professionally perfected performances at their respective peaks, tension develops, producing one of the most gripping playoffs ever played from the genre, even if you're not a frequent sport fan. (A-)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Janus Metz

Director

Sverrir Gudnason

Björn Borg

Shia LaBeouf

John McEnroe

Stellan Skarsgård

Lennart Bergelin

Tuva Novotny

Mariana Simionescu

Ian Blackman

John McEnroe Senior

Borg vs. Mcenroe: Trailer 1

2:18

Borg vs. Mcenroe: International Trailer 1

1:35

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Synopsis

It's the summer of 1980, and Björn Borg is the top tennis player in the world, dominating the sport both on and off the court. A powerful and rigorously disciplined player, there is only one obstacle in his pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon championship: the highly talented but ferociously abrasive young American John McEnroe. With three days until the tournament begins, Borg trains religiously in his lavish Monaco home, aided by his coach and mentor Lennart and girlfriend Mariana.

Director: Janus Metz
Producer: Jon Nohrstedt, Fredrik Wikström
Screenwriter: Ronnie Sandahl
Distributor: Neon
Production Co: Sirena Film, Film i Väst, Yellow Film & TV, Nordisk Film, SF Studios
Rating: R (Some Nudity|Language Throughout)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 13, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 12, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $228.8K
Runtime: 1h 48m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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