March (movie) Madness: Favorite films of Duke men's basketball's players and coaches

With March Madness in full swing, movies are an excellent way to immerse yourself in Duke basketball spirit during the sad periods between live games. Here are a few films beloved by several Duke men's basketball's players and coaches, all mentioned by players and coaches on The Brotherhood Podcast.

Jon Scheyer - “The Dark Knight” (2008)

Also beloved by Kon Knueppel and Darren Harris, “The Dark Knight” is the second installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Its star-studded cast features Christian Bale, Sir Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and the late Heath Ledger. Ledger’s masterful performance as The Joker even won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. 

Arguably among the greatest, if not the greatest, superhero film of all time, “The Dark Knight” is less mind-bending than other Nolan films like “Inception” or “Memento,” but no less thought-provoking. On the surface, the film follows billionaire and vigilante Bruce Wayne (Christain Bale) as he works to defeat the villainous Joker (Heather Ledger). However, the film also features incredibly well-developed character arcs and an impressively in-depth story, making it an entertaining watch. The 152-minute long film is even available online through Duke University Libraries.

Kon Knueppel - “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

One of Knueppel’s favorite films, alongside “The Dark Knight” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” “The Shawshank Redemption”  is also the favorite of current player Neal Begovich and former player Ryan Young. This makes it the most commonly listed favorite film among players and coaches who have talked about films on The Brotherhood Podcast.

“The Shawshank Redemption,” directed by Frank Darabont, is an adaptation of the Stephen King novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” “Shawshank” follows banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who has been sentenced to life in prison for a double murder he is adamant did not commit. During his time in prison, he befriends fellow prisoner Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) and gets involved in a money laundering operation run by the warden and prison staff. With phenomenal cinematography by the renowned Roger Deakins (whose cinematography includes “1917,” “Skyfall” and “A Beautiful Mind”), this film is moving and inspiring. You can stream “Shawshank” online using Swank through Duke University Libraries.

Cooper Flagg - The “Harry Potter” series

Last, but certainly not least, the former Head Coach Mike Krzyzeweski’s favorite film is “Legends of the Fall,” a 1995 epic Western film directed by Edward Zwick. While Coach K stated that he is not usually into war films, despite his service in the U.S. Army, he said of “Legends of the Fall” that he “loves everything about it, the music especially.” “Legends of the Fall” follows three brothers and their father, all living in rural Montana during the early 20th century. The film has been praised for its exceptional performances — given by a star-studded cast that includes Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins — and for its cinematography, which won John Toll an Academy Award.

Other favorite films

If you’re looking for sci-fi films, Maliq Brown has said his favorite movie is “Jurassic World,” while Patrick Ngongba II’s is “Transformers.” Be sure to also take a look at Caleb Foster’s selection of “Rush Hour,” Kyle Filipowski’s picks of “The Fast and the Furious” and “Spider-Man” or Neal Begovich’s choice of “Invincible.” Hopefully, these films keep you entertained while you wait to watch the next big game.