Are you looking for worthwhile skate films to watch this weekend? Well, you came to the right place. Today, we will show you our 20 best skate movies!
We did the research, so you don’t have to. We’ve scrolled through countless skate films, sought the outlook of critics, and noted the crowd’s opinions to come up with this list. It wasn’t easy, but here it is, and we’re thrilled to show you the outcome. So, without further ado, let’s zoom through these movies now!
20. Street Dreams (2009)
English 1h 28m IMDb
Chris Zamoscianyk
Stars: Paul Rodriguez, Ryan Dunn, Rob Dyrdek
The film follows a high school skater named Derrick Cabrera. It centers on his dream of becoming a pro and shows the ups, but mostly the downs, he had to face in achieving his goal.
Street Dreams is an ideal film to watch for those who also dream of going pro but are losing heart. The movie might be fiction featuring a fictional skater, but it is a film that can give that extra boost or encouragement that a skater needs!
19. Gleaming the Cube (1989)
English 1h 45m IMDb
Graeme Clifford
Stars: Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Richard Herd
This film centers on a skater named Brian Kelly. However, it is more than about skateboarding. It follows Kelly as he solves the mystery of his brother’s death and how skateboarding helps save the day.
Gleaming the Cube is an ideal watch if you want a skateboarding film, but also something different. The sport is undoubtedly part of the plot, but it does not only revolve around it. The film could be a great addition to a skate-themed watchlist for variety.
18. Thrashin (1986)
English 1h 33m IMDb
David Winters
Stars: Josh Brolin, Robert Rusler, Pamela Gidley
This film follows an amateur skateboarder who traveled to L.A. to join a competition. It shows the highs and lows he faces on and off the skateboarding ramp and how he beats the odds.
Trashin is a good watch for those who want to know more about the skateboarding culture. While the film is a work of fiction, it does showcase a portion of the culture well. Additionally, it features several big names in the skateboarding community. It’s a good movie to watch to start delving into the skateboarding culture.
17. Paranoid Park (2007)
English 1h 25m IMDb
Gus Van Sant
Stars: Gabe Nevins,Daniel Liu,Taylor Momsen
Paranoid Park follows Alex, a 16-year-old skater involved and haunted by an accidental death.
The film is a mystery thriller. Additionally, it is not told in a linear fashion, which adds to the puzzle. With that, Paranoid Park makes for an ideal watch for fans of the sport and the genre. It is also one of the very few skateboarding movies that delved into the genre, making it a movie to see for diversity in a skate-centered movie marathon.
16. Freewheelin (1976)
English 1h 20m IMDb
Scott Dittrich
Stars: Stacy Peralta, Camille Darrin, Russell Howell
Freewheelin is a film that follows Stacy Peralta and his friends as they tour from one city to another. It takes viewers back to the good ole days of the golden age of skateboarding. It’s a look at the starting days of the sport and its growth and development from its humble beginnings.
This film best suits those looking to get a glimpse of the early days of the sport raw, without all the drama and fancy words to lure you in.
15. Skate Kitchen (2018)
English, Spanish 1h 46m IMDb
Crystal Moselle
Stars: Rachelle Vinberg, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran
The film is about an 18-year-old skater named Camille and a group of female skaters who call themselves the Skate Kitchen. It tells how Camille finds herself tangled up with the girls and how she breaks away from the closed-up world she was used to.
As you might already know, skateboarding is a sport filled with men. Skate Kitchen is a film to watch if you want to see some females rule the ramps, especially if you know and are a fan of the real-life group, as its members played the fictionalized versions of themselves!
14. Pretending I’m a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story (2020)
English 1h 13m IMDb
Ludvig Gür
Stars: Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen
This film centers on the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game. It tells of how skateboarding influenced the game and how it influenced the sport after. Many skateboarding documentaries focus on showing and explaining the sport’s roots. However, this film talked about a specific shift that impacted how skateboarding and its culture turned out the way it is today. With that, this film is an ideal addition to a movie marathon that aims to get a full glimpse of the history, growth, and development of skateboarding.
13. Skateboard Madness (1980)
English 1h 32m IMDb
Julian Pena
Stars: Huck Andress, Gregg Ayres, Ray Ban
Skateboard Madness is a comedy that features a laid-back photographer who desperately needs a skateboarding story and four skaters willing to help with the task. However, while the film has a humorous premise, it is a documentary on the sport.
This film is one of the first feature-length films centered on the sport and is a skateboarding film classic. If you want to watch a movie about the sport, this one is the film to see. It is one of those films that should make it to a classic skateboarder’s list!
12. Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002)
English 1h 22m IMDb
Helen Stickler
Stars: Mark ‘Gator’ Rogowski, Stacy Peralta, Tony Hawk
The film is a documentary that focuses on Mark (Gator) Rogowski. As the title suggests, it tells of the rise and fall of one of the biggest skating icons in the 80s. This film will let you in how and why one of the most screamed names in the skateboarding community is now barely even whispered.
Stoked is an ideal watch if you want to know more about the skater. It will let you get up close and personal with the icon. Also, it will let you know how and why he disappeared from the scene.
11. Waiting for Lightning (2012)
English 1h 36m IMDb
Jacob Rosenberg
Stars: Danny Way, Rob Dyrdek, Travis Pastrana
This film is a documentary that centers on Danny Way. It talks about his contributions and achievements in skateboarding. However, it also lets the viewers get up close and personal with the pro. Aside from his life on the ramps, the film also looks at his life as a person.
This film is undoubtedly ideal for fans of the pro. However, it is also one of the best skateboarding documentaries out there. With that, it can also be a good watch for someone who wants to look at the sport through the eyes of an insider.
10. Mid90s (2018)
English 1h 25m IMDb
Stars: Sunny Suljic, Katherine Waterston, Lucas Hedges
Mid90s is a coming-of-age film that centers on a 13-year-old boy named Stevie. It tells about his troubled life and how he got to know about skateboarding. It shows how he befriends skaters and finds comfort in the sport and his newfound friends.
This film can be an ideal watch for any skater but can especially be a good watch for 70s, 80s, and 90s babies. As the title suggests, the Mid90s also showed life around the time. With that, it can also be an ideal watch for these babies to bring on nostalgia.
9. The Man Who Souled the World (2007)
English 1h 27m IMDb
Mike Hill
Stars: Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña, Celeste Baily, Cerina Leigh Baily
This film centers on Steve Rocco and his influence and contribution to the sport. It showed the shift he has created in the sport as a whole, and whether it is all good, bad, or a little bit of both is something the viewers can decide for themselves. As the film focuses on Rocco, it leans a bit on a positive perspective. However, with an open mind, it is a movie that can help its audience weigh just how good the good Rocco brought to the skateboarding community is.
8. Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi (2006)
English 1h 38m IMDb
Cesario Block Montano
Stars: Dennis HopperTony AlvaJay Adams
This film is a documentary that revolves around Christian Hosoi that tells of his rise to fame, his fall from grace, and his rising up again. As you probably already know, many skaters have fallen from great heights – literally and figuratively. However, skateboarding is about picking one’s self up after falling and tumbling. This film is an ideal watch to remind fans that it does not all end when a skater falls from the board. The film is a reminder that skating stars and ordinary skaters can rise again after falling.
7. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
English 1h 31m IMDb
Stacy Peralta
Stars: Sean PennJay Adams,Tony Alva
Dogtown and Z-Boys is a documentary that focuses on the Zephyr skateboard team. It talks about the team’s history, skateboarding in general, and the team’s influence on the sport.
The film is undoubtedly a must-see for fans of the group, especially since it was a former member who directed it. With that, one can expect that this movie does the team’s story with justice. However, even if you are not a fan of the group, this film is one you might want to consider watching if you want to delve into the history of skateboarding.
6. We Are Blood (2015)
English 1h 31m IMDb
Ty Evans
Stars: Chris Colbourn, Clive Dixon, Tiago Lemos
We Are Blood is a film that follows a group of talented skaters as they travel the world to, as you might have already guessed, skate!
This film centers around the sport. However, it is not the only highlight. We Are Blood is a skateboarding movie to see to get a glimpse of the bond, connection, and camaraderie the sport creates. It is an ideal film to watch with current or old skateboarding friends to pump everyone up or bring on some nostalgia.
5. The Search for Animal Chin (1987)
English 1h 6m IMDb
Stacy Peralta
Stars: Chris Borst, Steve Caballero, Adrian Demain
This film follows the Bones Brigade as they search for Animal Chin, the legendary first skater. A quest that leads them on one wild and crazy adventure, but a fun one nonetheless.
The Search for Animal Chin is one of the oldest films on this list. It is one of the first skateboarding films to have a plot and not feature only shot after shot of skating stunts. If you want to see how skateboarding films have developed through the years, this one is one to check out!
4. All This Mayhem (2014)
English 1h 44m IMDb
Eddie Martin
Stars: Tas Pappas, Ben PappasTommy Caudill
All This Mayhem is a film that centers on Ben and Tas Pappas. As you might already know, all sports are not all fun and games. This film shows the viewers the darker part of skateboarding.
This one is a film that ought to make it on every skater’s watchlist for caution. While the film is engaging, it is not only a film to see for entertainment purposes. It is a film to shed light on the consequences of falling from a great height.
3. Minding the Gap (2018)
English 1h 33m IMDb
Bing Liu
Keire Johnson, Bing Liu, Zack Mulligan
This film tells the story of three friends. Friends brought together by their love of skateboarding. It detailed the life of the three friends, showed the struggles they faced, and, ultimately, how skateboarding helped them.
Minding the Gap is one of the most decorated films on this list, with more than four dozen wins (and even an Oscar nomination) under its belt. If you want a good watch, this one is an ideal film to add to your watchlist. It will likely not disappoint you!
2. Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (2012)
English 1h 30m IMDb
Stacy Peralta
Stars: Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Fred Durst
As you might have already guessed from the title of this film, it is about the Bones Brigade. It talks about how skateboarding impacted the lives of its members and, in turn, how they influenced the sport.
This film is undoubtedly a must-see for the fans of the group. However, it is also an ideal watch for someone who does not know the group yet but wishes to know more about them.
1. Yeah Right! (2003)
English 1hr 11m IMDb
Ty Evans, Spike Jonze
Stars: Richard Angelides, Stephen Berra, Brandon Biebel
Yeah Right! is a film without a plot. It is an hour-long film that features Girl Skateboards and Chocolate Skateboards doing all sorts of tricks and stunts. Undoubtedly, this film is a film to add to any skater’s watchlist.
The film might sound unappealing to an outsider. However, this film is for skaters and non-skaters alike. If you want to introduce someone to the sport, this film is the film you want to show them first!
Final Words
There are not a lot of renowned skate films, but as our 20 best skate movies list has shown you, there are many good skate films out there! We hope we got to help you find a good watch this weekend. If you want more, you might want to check out our other lists. We have many more great films and movies for you to check out!