A movie that recreates a real-life sporting event is a curious phenomenon, potentially undermined by the sources of its own appeal. If you remember the Big Game in question, then you walk into the theater with a spoiler in your pocket. But if you don’t, you might not care much in the first place. And besides, the internet being what it is and the made-for-cable sports documentaries being what they are (which is generally pretty good), you might be less than thrilled at the prospect of watching actors impersonate world-class athletes.

On the other hand, in the face of such odds, it’s hard to root against “Borg vs. McEnroe,” an engaging feature-length response to the trivia question “Who won the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 1980?” The answer is one of the two players named in the film’s title, rivals whose contrasting styles and temperaments made their confrontation especially exciting.