The Crash Reel
A gripping snowboarding documentary transforms an Olympic rivalry and catastrophic crash into a searching portrait of resilience, risk, and the cost of returning to the sport you love.
Overview
A gripping look at friendship, rivalry, and the high stakes of extreme sports.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- harrowing
- intimate
- propulsive
- sports documentary night
- inspirational viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the documentary's emotional power, immersive archival footage, and sensitive treatment of traumatic brain injury and athletic risk.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fifteen years of verite footage tracks Kevin Pearce, Shaun White, their rivalry, and Kevin's recovery.
Kevin Pearce and Shaun White are childhood friends whose pursuit of snowboarding supremacy drives the film's central relationship.
Kevin seeks to snowboard again after barely surviving a Park City half-pipe crash despite medical and family fears.
Half-pipe tricks, crashes, Olympic competition, and snowboarding footage frame athletic exhilaration alongside bodily danger.
Films like The Crash Reel, and why
Senna
intimate sports documentary focused on elite competition, traumatic injury, recovery, and personal resilience
Free Solo
observational sports documentary combining dangerous athletic performance, rivalry, and emotional human stakes
Touching the Void
character-driven documentary about extraordinary athletes confronting bodily limits and mortality
Movie Details
- Director
- Lucy Walker
- Release Date
- 2013-06-10
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (68)
Cast
- Kevin Pearce
- Shaun White
- Scotty Lago
- Jake Burton
- Mason Aguirre
- Jack Mitrani
- Danny Davis
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Crash Reel about?
- A gripping snowboarding documentary transforms an Olympic rivalry and catastrophic crash into a searching portrait of resilience, risk, and the cost of returning to the sport you love.
- What is The Crash Reel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Crash Reel as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Crash Reel violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Crash Reel as mild.
- What did critics think of The Crash Reel?
- Critics broadly praised the documentary's emotional power, immersive archival footage, and sensitive treatment of traumatic brain injury and athletic risk.
- Which films are like The Crash Reel?
- Films with a similar feel include Senna, Free Solo, and Touching the Void.
- How long is The Crash Reel?
- The Crash Reel runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Crash Reel?
- In United States, The Crash Reel is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
