Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off | SXSW 2022 Film Review

Interview with Tony Hawk, Sam Jones, and Mel Eslyn available below on The Hollywood Outsider podcast

Tony Hawk… the man, the myth, the legend. The professional skateboarder who reinvigorated life into the sport, who invented over 100 tricks, whose name is 100% synonymous with a deck and skateparks, even for those who know nothing else about skateboarding. But what about his journey to fame? Not just the success he achieved, but the perseverance he found within; the struggles he endured in order to rise to the top, and the loneliness of being there. Director Sam Jones’ intimate dive into who Tony Hawk really is and what he had to overcome is poignantly onscreen in the vulnerable documentary Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off. 

I’m going to preface this review by saying that I have been inspired by the man for the majority of my life, for as long as I can remember. I understand the impact and influence Tony has had on the sport, so I go into this obviously with the goggles of already recognizing that I appreciate him, respect him, and have a lot of love for him, but I am still capable of criticizing the work as a documentary.

The difficulty in developing any biographical documentary falls into a few things: 1. getting the subject to be involved with and accept your project, especially if you’re not telling them everything they want to hear, 2. getting others to participate and procuring archival footage, and 3. seamlessly editing random interviews and footage into a fully-fledged interview. Thankfully for Jones, his documentary more than surpassed expectations. Among the outstanding storytelling, Until the Wheels Fall Off has a stellar soundtrack and wonderful production value – to the point you almost forget you’re watching a documentary at times.

Part of my initial concern going into this film was that a Tony Hawk documentary came out two years ago (Pretending I’m A Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story), and I feared it’d be a replica of the same content. Nope, not in the slightest. It is apparent from the very first scene of Until the Wheels Fall Off that Sam Jones coordinated with Hawk to curate old footage, images, and interviews with Tony’s family. Learning about anyone’s family and their very honest perceptions of them is an incredibly exposing experience, especially when the entire world can tag along, but Sam was very upfront with Tony that he wanted this to be as authentic as possible. From his much older siblings, to footage of Hawk with his mom at an assisted living facility, Jones is wrapping us into the journey Tony took from a wee little tot to the infamous celebrity he’s become. What’s more, we learn about the impact that Frank Hawk, Tony’s dad, had on the sport of skateboarding, bringing it to the mainstream in ways most rebellious skaters despised. This obviously affected Tony’s reputation and the entrance of his unheard-of new tricks and unique skating style didn’t make anything better.

Until the Wheels Fall Off is truly an underdog story – something most of us can connect with, even if we don’t connect with the person at the center. I was actually quite surprised, but there is something for everyone here. Whether you’re a lifelong fan, only know the name Tony Hawk, or see skateboarding as a rebellious, teen angst hobby, Sam Jones worked hard to tell all aspects of Tony’s story and teach the long-time fans a couple things. This takes tremendous work on the filmmaker and editor’s part to bring a story together that can challenge any viewer to experience sympathy and meet them in their heart. It helps that we get to watch Tony grow up, essentially, and hear from professional skateboarders who candidly admit to not liking young Tony. He was an outcast in every sport, always feeling like he didn’t belong. Even with skating, he was the outcast. A lanky little boy who was not great, by others’ account, but became so driven at succeeding that he became great. Isn’t that the plot to every feature film in sports? It makes sense why this documentary works so well narratively.

As we move through the documentary and pivotal moments of Tony Hawk’s career, we get a glimpse behind the curtain of all the things we didn’t know about real-time that he was enduring personally. I won’t go into detail because the natural progression is both riveting and devastating, but in all, Until the Wheels Fall Off explores mental health, one’s ability to cope with emotions, the isolation and struggle of going from nobody to THE somebody, and the evolution of skateboarding in general.

I’m truly impressed and taken aback by Tony’s willingness to let Jones explore the depths and crevices of his shortcomings as a father and husband and things that don’t necessarily shine the brightest light on him. But confronting these very vulnerable and private aspects with such a genuine and accountable response is shockingly refreshing, especially from someone with as much fame as Tony Hawk has.

While we dive into his failures, we also get real insight into how Tony’s mastery of skateboarding tricks works on a deeper level. There are not many people in the world who can withstand the physical and mental anguish of failing time-after-time and attempting moves that could break your neck, but Tony Hawk is the definition of perseverance and determination. This film reminds you that regardless of how hard things get, you have to get back up and try again – and that’s the story of Tony Hawk. 

Listen to our interview with Tony Hawk, director Sam Jones, and executive producer Mel Eslyn, as well as over 25 other film and episodic premieres screened at SXSW 2022 via this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: