Movies Like Holy Surf! - Once Upon a Wave

If you liked Holy Surf! - Once Upon a Wave (2024), a documentary and tv movie movie directed by Benjamin Morel and Christophe Bouquet, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Riding Giants (2004)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.
2
The Endless Summer (1966)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown, himself a competition-level surfer, follows surfers Michael Hynson and Robert August on an around-the-world surfing adventure. With Brown's wry, sardonic narration and a twangy…
3
Atlantis (1991)
★ 6.3/10Also documentary
Atlantis is filmmaker Luc Besson's celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, expanding upon themes touched on in his film The Big Blue. Combining stunning underwater cinematography and a…
4
Dolphin Reef (2018)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary
Echo is a youngster who can't quite decide if it's time to grow up and take on new responsibilities-or give in to her silly side and just have fun. Dolphin society is tricky, and the coral reef that Echo and his family…
5
Pumping Iron (1977)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young Lou…
6
The Deepest Breath (2023)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.
7
The Bus: A French Football Mutiny (2026)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
This documentary revisits the French football team's controversial 2010 World Cup and the bus strike that sparked global headlines and national outrage.
8
Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer…
9
OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film) (2022)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
Grammy® winner singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing…
10
Tomorrow (2015)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
Climate is changing. Instead of showing all the worst that can happen, this documentary focuses on the people suggesting solutions and their actions.
11
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.
12
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s…
13
Western Stars (2019)
★ 7/10Also documentary
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen…
14
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for…
15
Planet Ocean (2012)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Dive into our planet's greatest mysteries with a team of international underwater cinematographers as they explore the breathtaking bond between humanity and the ocean.
16
Titanic: The Digital Resurrection (2025)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary and tv movie
Using cutting-edge scanning technology and state-of-the-art CGI, a team of experts creates the first high-resolution 3D digital twin of the Titanic wreck. Through a groundbreaking immersive investigation, they uncover…
17
The Irishman: In Conversation (2019)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
18
Baraka (1992)
★ 8.2/10Also documentary
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
19
180° South (2010)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
20
On the Way to School (2013)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
These children live in the four corners of the earth, but share the same thirst for learning. They understand that only education will allow them a better future and that is why, every day, they must set out on the…