Feel the awe of the ocean by watching a surfing movie. This is a list of 20 top rated surfing films from the past last 50 years, based on user reviews (e.g., IMDb).
Photo: Chris O’Halloran
- Come Hell or High Water (2011) – Short documentary about bodysurfing.
- Momentum Generation (2018) – Intimate look at the 1990s North Shore crew (Slater, Machado, Dorian, etc.).
- Riding Giants (2004) – Stacy Peralta’s landmark big-wave history.
- Thicker Than Water (2000) – Documentary (video). Jack Johnson and the Malloy brothers’ travel surf film.
- Girls Can’t Surf (2020) – History of women’s professional surfing and the fight for equality in the sport.
- The Endless Summer II (1994) – Bruce Brown’s modern follow-up to the original classic; a global surf travelogue.
- Step Into Liquid (2003) – Dana Brown’s world-spanning celebration of surfing in all forms and locations.
- Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton (2017) – Deep dive into Laird Hamilton’s career and innovations in big-wave surfing.
- Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2018) – Focuses on Hamilton’s life, resilience, and competitive comeback beyond Soul Surfer.
- Uncharted Waters (2013) – Portrait of Australian surfing icon Wayne Lynch and his influence on surf culture.
- Point Break (1991) – Feature film (action/crime). Kathryn Bigelow’s cult heist-meets-surf film; hugely influential in surf and pop culture.
- Big Wednesday (1978) – Feature film (drama). Coming-of-age story following California surfers across the turbulent 1960s–70s.
- Chasing Mavericks (2012) – Feature film (biographical drama). Dramatization of Jay Moriarity’s life and training to surf Mavericks in California.
- Keep Surfing (2009) – River-surfing film centered on Munich’s Eisbach wave and the global river-surf scene.
- Highwater (2009) – Dana Brown’s chronicle of Hawaii’s Triple Crown of Surfing.
- Soul Surfer (2011) – Feature film (biopic). Bethany Hamilton’s shark-attack and recovery story; popular inspirational surf film.
- Surf’s Up (2007) – Animated feature. Mockumentary-style penguin surf comedy; a family favorite with strong fan ratings.
- North Shore (1987) – Feature film (sports drama). Arizona kid chases his surfing dreams on Oahu’s North Shore.
- View from a Blue Moon (2015) – Follows John John Florence around some of the world’s best waves.
- Storm Surfers 3D (2012) – Australian big-wave hunting with Ross Clarke-Jones and Tom Carroll, filmed in 3D.