If you love the driving of race car drivers and movie stars like James Bond, Harrison Ford, Vin Diesel, James Garner the famous Paul Walker (may he rest in eternal peace), then you understand the thrill that comes with street racing movies.
From the green Ford Mustang in Bullit to the orange Toyota Supra in The Fast and Furious, and the customized offroaders in the movie Death race, cars have become the main thing in many famous movies. Off-road vehicles are not an exception, and they too have become the stars in movies and documentaries.
For the off-road enthusiast, below is a list of the best off-road racing documentaries and movies that are touching and exhilarating and worth that Netflix, Hulu, or youtube price. All you need is a price comparison and get to enjoy the thrill of severe racing.
25. Winners Take All
The Winners Take All is a 1987 film directed by Fritz Kiersch to showcase the story of two off-road riders. The film is about racing and an exciting story of two riders who seem to start as friends but later become enemies in their field.
The film is a detailed show of racing on rough terrains and passionate bikers showing their skills. Sure, the film will keep you at the Edge of your seat.
According to this film, Billy Robinson and Rick Melon are two good friends who enjoy motocross and are good at it.
However, Rick never gets a win. Billy, on the other hand, brings to secure even Rick’s girlfriend from his victories. Later, Rick receives training from a skilled rider known as Judy for the ultimate ride with Billy. The drama between the two is what makes the film even more enjoyable. You can watch the whole movie on YouTube, Amazon, Hulu, or Netflix.
24. Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross
Unchained is a 2016 film directed by Jon Freeman and Paul Taublieb. If you are a lover of the world’s most extreme sport – freestyle motocross, then you will get to learn about the genesis of this sport. This film is adrenaline-packed, which is why it won the Emmy Award for the best sports documentary film.
The film unearths how the extreme sport was born, showing how the pioneers silenced the traditions of bike racing by forging a new culture for off-road bike racing. If you are also a bike racing fan, then this film will excite you. You can watch unchained on Amazon.
23. Motocross
If you love adrenaline-packed comedy films, then motocross is the film for you. It is a 2001 film directed by Steve Boyum. The film is about a young girl who loves motocross. Her twin brother looks forward to competing in a big race, only for him to face an accident and break his leg.
Her twin sister poses as him to compete in the race. The film is not only exciting but also funny. It is also inspiring for bike racers and overall sportspeople. You can watch the movie on Amazon or Prime Video.
22. Ride: United
This documentary includes all motosports disciplines, including off-road enduro, general motocross, and freestyle motocross.
The 2016 film aims to bring together all of these disciplines to celebrate all of the sports. Ride: United is a film directed by Amanda West that aims to show that despite the different styles and rules of each motosport, there is one thing that people need to celebrate: the passion for the sport.
In this film, you get to watch some of your favorite sportsmen, such as Jeffrey Herlings, Coddy Webb, Marvin Masquin, among other famous athletes. The film is filled with motivation and appreciation for motosports, which is why it is popular. You can watch this celebrated film on Amazon.
21. Dream of Dakar
Dream of Dakar is a 2013 film directed by Christian Vogel showcasing an under-resourced off-road motor race team set to compete with the large and well-funded teams in the Dakar rally. The film shows the dreams and the one-year journey of the members of this under-resourced race team.
The film also shows the challenges and also triumphs of this team until they can survive their first Dakar rally. This film is thrilling and exciting, which is why most people have watched it until now. The full film is available on Amazon too.
20. Coming To My Senses
Coming to my senses is a 2017 inspirational documentary directed by Dominic Gill, which narrates a story of determination. It is not your usual adrenaline-filled movie like in the rest of the films we have listed here.
Coming to my senses is a story of a motocross rider who is a passionate one. The rider had an accident in 1977 which left his neck badly hurt, and the rest of his body paralyzed.
The doctor tells him that he only has one in a million chances of ever feeding himself, let alone going back to the race. However, the racer uses 16 years of his life to change the announced fate by trying to gain his mobility.
The film starts with Aaron’s Baker’s hike on Death valley. So will he make it or not? You can confirm this from the film on Amazon.
19. Fresno Smooth
Fresno smoothie is a motocross-themed film filled with humor, so if you love humor-filled, sport-themed movies, then this is one of the films you should watch. Fresno Smoothie is a 1999 movie directed by Adam Baker.
Fresno Smooth is a movie filled with drama which is why some people still love it and why it is on this list. You can watch the full movie on Amazon.
18. The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 2020 51 minutes long film directed by Amanda Ivy West. The documentary revolves around the lives of twelve passionate off-road motorcycle racers. These racers spend every minute of their time training, playing, and competing.
If you want 51 minutes of motorcycle action, then Dirty Dozen is one of the best off-road movies you can watch. Before watching the full movie on Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, and Xbox Video, you can watch the full trailer.
17. Tougher Than Iron: The Enduro at Erzberg
Love Enduro? This is a great film for you. Tougher than Iron is a 2009 film directed by Rich Van Every documenting one of the toughest races in Austria with some 1500 racers. The race takes place in Iron Giant in a desert in Austria.
The film is packed with wild action and thrilling racing that will have you glued to the screen. Also, expect to come across some ‘top dogs’ in the racing world, such as Taddy Blazusiask, Chris Birch, and Cyril Depres. Tougher than Iron is available on Amazon, where you can buy or rent it to watch.
16. Crusty Demons of Dirt Series
If you are a lover of series, then Crusty Demons is one example of a sports series that you should watch. Crusty Demons is a 1995 to 2015 series giving you collection after collections.
Each collection has 20 videos. The film documents some of the best motorcyclists from Europe, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.
Motorcyclists are documented doing rides over mountains, buses, houses, dunes e.t.c to show their daring skills in freestyle motocross. Crusty Demons is a film that is known to have boosted popularity, so you can bet that this is an intriguing film.
15. Supercross
Supercross is a 2005 film talking about two brothers who are passionate riders. However, the two brothers K.C and While Trip, have two significant differences in their personalities. K.C seems like the daredevil who seems to be daring his death with his thrilling riding skills. On the other hand, Trip is the quite conserved brother who is orderly, systematic, and focused.
However, it comes a time that these two will have to put their differences aside and work together. Trip has an accident and is injured, and due to this, he has to train K.C to help him win the race.
As you watch this film, you will realize that it is a complete show of enthusiasm and loyalty and thus it is one among inspiring sports films.
14. Robby Gordon Unplugged
This film follows Robby Gordon to Baja 500, 5 years of the RG footage to Glamis, and then back to Baja 1000. Robby Gordon is a very talented off-road driver, and if you are not his, you will become one after watching the video. The film also showcases part of Robby’s past.
Robby Gordon unplugged is a 46 minutes sports film that will have you on the edge of your seat. You will also have a new driver you can watch and be a fan of.
13. Bennet’s War
Bennet’s War is a 2019 movie that revolves around a young soldier who was once a professional motocross racer. This film is packed up with drama and inspiration for motocross lovers.
Marshall Bennet, the main actor in this film, has an accident during combat where he has a broken back and leg. When he goes back to his family, he is faced with his family’s financial struggles. His father is behind mortgage, and the chances of losing their farm are so high.
On the other side, his wife is worried that he will further aggravate his injuries. However, Bennet is still focused on winning the motocross race to see if he can save his family’s farm. On the other hand, his marriage is at stake because his wife decides to pack and leave after an argument.
So will he save his family and marriage? You can only get the answers to these questions by watching the movie in real-time. It is available on Amazon, YouTube, and Hulu, where you can watch it.
12. Wasteland Warriors 2
This film follows off-road races such as Baja Endurance classic, extreme races at the Glamis sand dunes, and it also takes a run through the Mojave desert. The film is packed up with extreme action shot on camera in real-time, and if you are a lover of extreme races, then this is the right movie for you.
Produced by Dana Nicholson, this film stars some legendary drivers such as Robby Gordon and Scott Steinberger. You can find and watch Wasteland Warriors 2 on prime video on Amazon.
11. Dezert People Series
Dezert people is a 1 to 16 episode series on off-road racing created in 2001 by Nicole Pitell Vaughan, Klaus Rasch, and Curtis Guise. Any of the episodes of the series is packed up with intense action and jaw-dropping races. You can watch the Dezert People Series from prime video on Amazon.
10. Driving Dirty: The Baja 1000 | RedBull TV Series
This documentary follows five teams that are competing in the baja 1000 race in the desert. These teams include a wife and a husband, a novice racer, two sisters, a pro racer, and a hometown hero. In this race, they all have different motivations but their main goal is to win the race.
This 2016, 52-minute film showcases the struggles that each of the teams goes through while in preparation for the Baja 1000. The film documents their journey up to the time they are set to compete.
The documentary is exciting and also full of drama. You can watch this exciting documentary by renting or buying it from Prime Video on Amazon or watch it on Redbull.
9. Dust 2 Glory (2017)
Dust 2 Glory is the second documentary directed by Dana Brown about off-road racing and Baja in particular. This is one of the must-watch Baja racing documentaries about the famous Baja 1000 – the longest off-road race held yearly in Baja, Mexico. The race features many types of cars. It is also considered one of the most intriguing and dangerous of all off-road races.
8. Sidewinder 1
Sidewinder is a 1977 film directed by Earl Bellarmy. If you are into action combined with drama and romance, then this is a great choice for you. The film involves an aging motocross rider who is approached by a rich industrialist Packard Gentry to endorse his cycle. Unfortunately, Gentry dies and the racer has to convince Gentry’s sister to continue supporting the project.
Romance then ensures between the two which makes the movie more interesting. Although the movie is a classic one, many still swear that it is still an exciting movie to them. You can watch the movie on Youtube or on Amazon Primevideo.
7. Checkered Flag or Crash
Checkered flag or crash is another 1977 American adventure filled with comedy. The film is about off-road racing in the Philippines jungle where walkaway madden only wants to win the big manila 1000 off-road race and also get rid of the fast-talking promoter.
A photojournalist, Wainwright wants to ride with him in the race. You can watch Checkered flag or crash on Youtube for free.
6. Too Fast to Race (Rally Group B)
This is a full documentary about the legendary group B rally cars that once ruled the dust. The cars were introduced in 1982 by the FIA. They were the most technologically advanced cars during the time but they were also staggeringly dangerous. In 1986 however, Nenry Toinoven together with his co-driver was killed after a series of other fatalities and this resulted in FIA banning the cars.
We were therefore only left with the memories of these lightweight and powerful cars. The documentary brings into full picture the memories of these cars. You can watch the full story of these group B rally cars on YouTube for free.
5. Battle of the Badlands
This film is one of the latest off-road films on this list, having been produced in 2021 directed by Levi Comstock. Battle of the Badlands follows the story of two Reece brothers in their class race which they won in 2019. This film is thrilling, having been started as a YouTube video but ended up becoming a bigger documentary than expected.
You can watch Battle of the Badlands on Prime video on Amazon.
4. Rallying – the Killer Years
During the 1980s rallying was more popular than the current Formula 1 but it got out of control and it had to be stopped. During this time deregulation paved the way for more powerful and exciting cars to ever hit motorsports.
For four years manufacturers struggled to create more powerful vehicles that were fearless drivers that rode powerfully with no fear. However this got out of control and after a series of tragedies, it had to come to an end.
Rallying- the killers years is a documentary that talks about these years so that we can have a glimpse of what these years looked like. You can rent or buy this film from prime video on Amazon and catch the thrilling rallying years.
3. 2018 Mint 400 Documentary
The Mint 400 is the oldest yet the most prestigious off-road race in America. This documentary is about 400 racing teams that went to Las Vegas to not only battle each other out but also brave the unforgiving desert of Nevada.
BJ Baldwin, Rob McCachren, and other racing icons also took part in this race and competed in 400 miles of unforgiving terrain. So who took the gold and won the race.? Find out by watching the mint 400 documentary free on YouTube or Amazon where you will need to buy or rent the film.
2. On Any Sunday
We start with ‘On Any Sunday,’ a 1971 documentary nominated for a 1972 award. This racing documentary was directed by Bruce Brown. This legendary film has for years remained inspiring and relevant to most off-road enthusiasts.
Expect to see the most celebrated riders like Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith. You will be mesmerized watching these riders showcase their prowess in the off-road realm and their daredevil speeds – one of the reasons why many still celebrate this film. The film also showcases the different personalities of the other riders in the film.
For instance, the motocross riders are different from desert racers, where the latter are loners while the former are free-spirited people. The movie is available on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon.
1. Dust to Glory (2005)
Dust to Glory is a 2005 documentary directed by Dana Brown. This is one of the must-watch Baja racing documentaries about the famous Baja 1000 – the longest off-road race held yearly in Baja, Mexico. The race features many types of cars. It is also considered one of the most intriguing and dangerous of all off-road races.
Therefore, the race attracts many racers as well as fans from all over the world. Dust to Glory particularly covers the 2003 race. As mentioned, the race covers a wide range of vehicles that covers dirty bikes and large trucks. Therefore, many racers show up to try and gain the glory of this magnificent race.
