The Endless Summer
Cinema V | Release Date: June 15, 1966 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
New York PostLinda Stasi
Bruce Brown’s 1966 documentary, perhaps the greatest surfing movie ever made, follows California surfers as they travel the globe in search of the perfect wave. Read full review
100
Rolling StoneNoel Murray
The greatest surfing picture of all time, this unassuming piece of counterculture anthropology is so likable that it had kids around the world buying boards and heading to the California coast in search of the perfect barrel. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleJef Rouner
Some things really are as good as the hype makes them out to be, and The Endless Summer is one of them. [28 Jun 2020, p.K14]
90
The AtlanticAndrew Cohen
The genius of the movie is that it seeks to do no more than record an escape from the burdens of the real world. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicWilliam J. Nazzaro
It's fun, it's exciting, it's entertaining. And if you are sure you can smell the salt and the waves when you leave the theater, who knows, you may be right. [09 Feb 1967]
80
NPRIan Buckwalter
As with a great silent film, one gets the picture just by watching the pictures, and the film is as good with the sound off as it is with it on. Read full review
80
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
With Brown's wry, sardonic narration and a twangy, guitar-driven instrumental soundtrack by The Sandals playing over the silent footage, Mike and Rob leave their California home to visit Hawaii, Australia, South Africa and other secluded surfing spots in a search for the surfer's holy grail that Brown dubs "The Perfect Wave." Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Shunning the tons of equipment ordinarily taken along on location, Brown used only what he could carry. The beautiful photography he brought home almost makes you wonder if Hollywood hasn't been trying too hard. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChris Cabin
True to its title, The Endless Summer exudes a blissful, mellow buzz that could easily be misconstrued as lazy or innocuous filmmaking. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Only those who find the subject matter utterly disinteresting will be turned off by Brown's devoted, almost fanatical, approach. Otherwise, the film has a low-budget charm that won it many admirers in and out of the surfing community. Read full review
70
The New York TimesRobert Alden
Happily, the viewer is not asked to ponder profundities very often—just to have fun. Read full review
60
BBCAlmar Haflidason
A cheesy but good-humoured voiceover adds to the charm, while the events on-screen can often be exciting and fascinating to watch. Read full review
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