Back to trending
Riding Giants

Riding Giants

Documentary · 2004

Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.

Movie details

Riding Giants

2004 Documentary 1h 45m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Riding Giants?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off

Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off

Documentary · 2022

A wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades, featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

Documentary · 2012

When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.

The Curse of the Dragon

The Curse of the Dragon

Documentary · 1993

A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5

Documentary · 2026

An inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.

Come See Me in the Good Light

Come See Me in the Good Light

Documentary · 2025

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

Girl Rising

Girl Rising

Documentary · 2013

Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Dogtown and Z-Boys

Documentary · 2002

This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

History · 2004

A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

Documentary · 2019

For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.

We Live in Public

We Live in Public

Documentary · 2009

In 1999, Internet entrepreneur Josh Harris recruits dozens of young men and women who agree to live in underground apartments for weeks at a time while their every movement is broadcast online. Soon, Harris and his girlfriend embark on their own subterranean adventure, with cameras streaming live footage of their meals, arguments, bedroom activities, and bathroom habits. This documentary explores the role of technology in our lives, as it charts the fragile nature of dot-com economy.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stacy Peralta

Written by

Stacy Peralta · Sam George

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Darrick Doerner

Darrick Doerner

Darrick Doerner

Laird Hamilton

Laird Hamilton

Laird John Hamilton

Dave Kalama

Dave Kalama

Dave Kalama

David H. Kalama Jr.

David H. Kalama Jr.

Dave Kalama

Brian Keaulana

Brian Keaulana

Brian L. Keaulana

Buzzy Kerbox

Buzzy Kerbox

Buzzy Kerbox

Court is in session

Put Riding Giants on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.