The only problem is that, with so much fascinating material to cover, The Crash Reel skips over half of it.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 6, 2017

Walker's most fine-tuned character-driven documentary yet.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 30, 2014

The Crash Reel is an affecting reminder of how suddenly circumstances can turn on us. But it's also an inspiring look at how we can deal with even the most hobbling bad luck.

| Original Score: B | Feb 5, 2014

Lucy Walker makes a multi-faceted documentary that deals with the demands on Olympic-level athletes to excel at their chosen sport.

| Original Score: B+ | Jan 31, 2014

Walker never preaches, she and Kos just lay out an incredible journey with a few supportive side trips to build her case against extreme sports while still celebrating the athletes who participate in them.

| Original Score: A- | Jan 25, 2014

Surprising and moving, it's a nonfiction wonder.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 9, 2014

The Crash Reel simply swells one's heart; the Pearce family is a smart and loving one, and the lessons sprinkled throughout this amazing documentary are multitude.

| Original Score: A- | Dec 25, 2013

Jawdropping and jawbreaking stunts performed by professional snowboarders open Lucy Walker's latest documentary, but it is the aftermath of accidents that form the powerfully disturbing core of the film.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 22, 2013

Lucy Walker's documentary is exhilarating and grim viewing.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 22, 2013

With some narrative threads suddenly dropped, it's raw-edged and sometimes jarring. But as a reminder of how fragile life is, it's spot-on.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 22, 2013

Few documentaries manage to show character arcs as full as the one Walker captures here.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Dec 22, 2013

The Crash Wheel makes a valiant effort to bring wider awareness to some of the bigger issues surrounding these extreme sports, but the film is strongest when it is simply Pearce's story.

| Original Score: A- | Dec 22, 2013

After screening The Crash Reel, you will never, ever again delight in televised images of skiers and snowboarders wiping out on the slopes. Guaranteed.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 22, 2013

Another memorable piece of storytelling from the Oscar-winning director.

| Dec 22, 2013

The hook of The Crash Reel is that it's about the rivalry between two famous American snowboarders, but in reality, Lucy Walker's slickly produced documentary is about one man's ongoing battle with himself -- on and off the slopes.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 22, 2013

Ms. Walker doesn't go too deeply into the questions all this raises, but at least she broaches them. Are the sponsors of these athletes promoting recklessness by encouraging stars to push the limits?

| Dec 22, 2013

The Crash Reel may not be all fun and games, but it is necessary viewing for any snowboarding enthusiasts who brazenly put their lives on the line.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 19, 2013

Walker's strategy yields drama on par with a scripted thriller ... But what's missing, I think, is a moral sense.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Dec 17, 2013

Amidst all the trauma that had me crying more than once throughout the film...I was amazed by the incredible feats performed by the athletes.

| Original Score: A- | Dec 13, 2013

Even as one participant notes cynically that the crowds come for the crashes, it's apparent that this is not the purpose of the footage in the film. The larger story is too tragic for that.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 13, 2013