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Moneyball

Moneyball

What are you really worth?

The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

Where can I watch Moneyball?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Moneyball streaming on Hulu via Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

What stands out about Moneyball?

Moneyball earns 11 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Is Moneyball worth watching?

Moneyball's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 1.5M ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

95th percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)94th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

77 /100

94th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Biography94th percentile among 2010s

Critics 87 · Audience 77

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.7 — people broadly agree on this one.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2010s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 94% · Audience 86%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 24 wins / 73 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Film Editing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

99th percentile

1.4M ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 12% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$20M
Domestic gross$76M
Worldwide gross$114M

Returned 2.3× its budget — 95th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is well-made with a smart script and strong acting, but it is dialogue-heavy and slow-paced, which some find engaging and others dull.

Fans praised

  • Sorkin's smart, witty dialogue and the screenplay's ability to make statistical analysis engrossing
  • Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill's chemistry, with Pitt delivering one of his strongest performances
  • The film's fresh, unconventional take on the sports genre, emphasizing strategy over on-field action

Detractors panned

  • Too talky and slow-paced, with little actual baseball action, making it boring for some
  • Lacks drama and excitement, feeling like nothing happens throughout the film
  • Overhyped and not as great as acclaimed, with an ordinary script despite some good lines

What stands out

Dialogue90

Sorkin's sharp, witty, intelligent dialogue

Acting88

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill's chemistry, Pitt's compelling lead, strong supporting cast

Originality85

Fresh take on sports films, focusing on analytics

CharactersDivisive75

Depth in Billy Beane's character, but some characters lack personality

Plot and storyDivisive70

Engaging behind-the-scenes story, but slow and uneventful for some

PacingDivisive55

Slow, talky, with little action, occasionally dragging

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 21 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

What is Moneyball like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
ContemplativeHopefulThrilling
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its story of statistical innovation with earnest respect, balancing understated humour with genuine emotional stakes.
The rideThe film is largely contemplative as Beane and Brand work through ideas, with rising hope during the winning streak and a bittersweet emotional weight in the final act when the season ends and the Red Sox offer arrives.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional beginning-middle-end structure following the 2002 season from offseason to postseason.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you with a belief that unconventional ideas can prevail and a lingering debate about tradition versus data.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeBilly Beane and the Oakland A's rise from a low-payroll underdog to a record-breaking team by defying conventional scouting, embodying an underdog-triumph arc with an expose of baseball's traditional biases.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Justice · 13% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeBilly Beane's search for a new way to build a team gives him purpose, while the film also explores building a community of undervalued players and the quest for fairness in a rigged system.
StanceThe film interrogates the meaning of purpose and success: Beane's quest is personal but the film questions whether industry conventions or radical new metrics produce a winning team and a fulfilling life.

The world

Early 21st centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernRockSupportive music · original score · Michael Danna
SettingMajor League Baseball front offices and ballparks in the 2002 season
MusicThe score blends folk-tinged guitar with subtle orchestral textures, and the soundtrack includes songs by Beck and Lenny Kravitz.

Is Moneyball okay for kids?

PG-13

Moneyball is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some strong language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (6/100), sexual content at minimal (8/100), language at moderate (53/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at minimal (9/100). Overall it is heavier than 19% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany0
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil10
  • Czechia15+
  • DenmarkA
  • FinlandS
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hungary12
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • SK12
  • SpainAPTA
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 16% of all filmsHeavier than 19% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 5%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 8%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 76%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 64%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 9%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 76% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Moneyball have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Who is in Moneyball?

What are movies like Moneyball?

Movies like Moneyball include Chasing Mavericks (2012), F1: The Movie (2025) and Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (2021). Of the 12 closest matches, most are biopics, and most are stories about mentors and protégés.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its story type: sports underdog. Those cards say what else they share.

What else shares a premise, people or place with Moneyball?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: tycoon. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.