Musician The Weeknd is pulled into an odyssey by a stranger in Hurry Up Tomorrow. In the aftermath of a break-up, The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is beginning to have vocal problems and insomnia. His manager Lee (Barry Keoghan) is insistent that Abel’s problems are psychological and encourages him to go on stage, where he has …
Music
The tragically short career of the “Queen of Tejano Music” is recollected in Selena y Los Dinos. Selena Quintanilla was the youngest daughter of Mexican-American musician Abraham Quintanilla. Beginning at the age of 6, Selena began singing in the band Los Dinos, which also included her older siblings A.B. and Suzette. Initially, the house band …
Filmmaker Stephen Chung resurrects his shelved documentary about the indie rock band Broken Social Scene with It’s All Gonna Break. In the mid-2000s, Stephen Chung filmed his friends of the Toronto-based indie rock band Broken Social Scene, as it grew from playing in basements and local music clubs to appearing on David Letterman and performing …
Robbie Williams tells the story of his tumultuous career, characterized as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee, in Better Man. Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, Robert Williams (Jonno Davies) dreams of being a performer like his absentee father Peter (Steve Pemberton). Robert gets his big break at 15 when he is chosen by manager Nigel Martin-Smith …
A fugitive punk rocker encounters a young woman, who happens to be the biggest fan of his band, in Dinner in America. After being kicked out of rehab, Simon (Kyle Gallner) is on the run from the police, due to his tendency of being a pyromaniac. Simon ends up crossing paths with Patty (Emily Skeggs), …
The early years of the career of Bob Dylan are recreated in A Complete Unknown. In 1961, enigmatic folk singer Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) travels to New York to visit his hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), who’s hospitalized with a degenerative illness. It is at the hospital where Bob meets Peter Seeger (Edward Norton), who …
Bubbles fulfills his dream of being a country music singer in Trailer Park Boys Presents Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story. Bubbles (Mike Smith) is making a documentary about his burgeoning country music career, as he performs his cat-themed songs at an old folk’s home, in exchange for free …
A family clashes over the fate of an heirloom piano in The Piano Lesson. On July 4, 1911, three brothers stole a piano from their former enslavers, though one of them, Boy Charles (Stephan James), died in a consequential fire. 25 years later, Boy Charles’ son Boy Willie (John David Washington) arrives with his friend …
A horror-themed punk band are sent to a farm to record a hit song in The Gesuidouz. Hanako (Natsuko) is the leader of The Gesuidouz, a punk-rock band with lyrics using the titles of horror films. The band’s manager is frustrated that nobody knows that The Gesuidouz’s first album “Toxic Avengers Infinity War” exists and …
The nearly four-decade long career of The Tragically Hip is told in an all-emcompassing docuseries in The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal. The Tragically Hip consisting of Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair were five alumni of KCVI high school in Kingston, Ontario. Signed to MCA records in the late-1980s, …
Belfast hoodlums form an Irish Gaelic rap group in Kneecap. Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh and Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin are two Belfast drug dealers, who insist on speaking the Irish language as taught to them by Naoise’s Irish Republican father Arlo (Michael Fassbender). While Liam is detained and questioned by Detective Ellis …
A budding friendship develops between a dog and a robot in 1980s New York City in Robot Dreams. Living an isolated existence in his New York City apartment, Dog orders for himself an Amica 2000 robot. Dog and Robot become fast friends, exploring the city to the sounds of Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “September.” However, …
Generative AI is used to construct a documentary about electronic music artist Brian Eno in real-time with Eno. Brian Eno is best known as a founding member of Roxy Music, a creator of ambient music, and a producer of Talking Heads, U2, and Peter Gabriel. Director Gary Hustwit incorporates over 500 hours of new and …
The life and career of Luther Vandross are looked back upon in Luther: Never Too Much. Luther Vandross grew up in the Brox with a love of music and in his younger years became part of the Apollo Theatre house band Listen to My Brother, which would go on to appear on the first episodes …
A grieving woman finds herself pulled into the past, as a new love interest enters in the present in The Greatest Hits. For the past two years, Harriet (Lucy Boynton) has been unable to let go of the memory of her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet), who died in a car accident. The reason for this …
The life and marriage of conductor Leonard Bernstein is revisited in Maestro. In 1943, 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) made his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic, setting himself to be one of the first great American conductors. Despite being a gay man, Leonard falls for Costa Rican-Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), a …
The story of the tumultuous relationship between Priscilla Beaulieu and Elvis Presley is told in Priscilla. In 1959, 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) is living in Germany with her stepfather Captain Beaulieu (Ari Cohen) and mother Ann (Dagmara Dominczyk). Priscilla is invited to a party hosted by an army cadet and rock and roll superstar …
Taylor Swift’s career-encompassing Eras Tour is presented in an epic new concert film in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Filmed during three shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Taylor Swift performs a show encompassing songs from each of her ten albums. Each of these different eras encompasses the different musical styles Swift explored during …
A24 presents a 4K restoration to mark the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads’ iconic concert film with Stop Making Sense: 2023 Remaster. At the peak of their career, in support of their 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues,” the core members of Talking Heads, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison, are joined by …
The indie rock band July Talk puts on a concert at a drive-in during the COVID-19 pandemic in July Talk: Love Lives Here. The band July Talk, led by Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, is forced to cancel their upcoming tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a contingency, the band plans to perform …
The career of “Queen of Disco” Donna Summer is revisited in Love to Love You, Donna Summer. Raised as part of a family of gospel singers, Donna Summer first became known for her “20 Minutes of Love” 1975 orgasmic dance hit “Love to Love You, Baby.” This and her 1977 hit collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, …
A standout performance by Cate Blanchett in an overlong film.
The bond between two brothers in 1990s Scarborough is examined in Brother. Michael (Lamar Johnson) grew up with his older brother Francis (Aaron Pierre) looking after him, while their mother Ruth (Marsha Stephanie Blake) worked late nights. In 2001, Michael lives on his own with a mentally broken Ruth when he is reunited with his …
Audio diaries help to dispel the myths about jazz legend Louis Armstrong in Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues. Known for his trumpeting and deep, raspy voice, Louis Armstrong was viewed by many as the Prime Minister of the world of jazz. However, Louis Armstrong was never public about his opinions or politics, resulting in a …
The absolutely true story of “Weird Al” Yankovic is told in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Growing up seeking the approval of his father Nick (Toby Huss) and a love of polka secretly supported by his mother Mary (Julianne Nicholson), Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) dreams of having a music career where he can change to …
Filmmaker Brett Morgen (Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) presents a kaleidoscopic retelling of the career of David Bowie with Moonage Daydream. With unfettered access to Bowie’s archives, Morgan uses rare interviews and performances to create an unconventional journal through his 1970s glam rock heyday to his commercial success in the 1980s and his more experimental …
Baz Luhrmann directs a biopic of the King of Rock and Roll with Elvis. Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) is a former carnie, who has moved into the music business managing country singer Hank Snow (David Wenham). Hank’s son Jimmie Rodgers (Kodi Smit-McPhee) brings to Parker’s attention Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), a new young signee …
Two Mexican-American women try to make it in the music industry and support their families in Mija. Doris Muñoz is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, who is working as a manager in the music industry, while also trying to acquire green cards for her parents. When Doris loses her primary client, she finds Jacks Haupt, …
First Runner-Up: Rogers Audience Award A rock band made up of young people on the autistic spectrum prepare for their first album and performance in Okay! (The ASD Band Film). Rawan Tuffaha (vocals), Jackson D. Begley (vocals/guitar), Spenser Murray (drums), and Ron Adea (keyboards) are four individuals on the autistic spectrum, who have come together …
The turbulent first five years of the career of Sinéad O’Connor are reframed through a feminist lens in Nothing Compares. Growing up in Ireland with an incredibly abusive mother, Sinéad O’Connor entered the world of music as a form of therapy. Despite shaving her head to rebel against being a musical commodity, Sinéad would end …
The life and career of heavy metal pioneer Ronnie James Dio are revisited in Dio: Dreamers Never Die. Born Ronald James Padavona the career of Ronnie James Dio spans the entire history of rock music, beginning with the 1960s band Ronnie Dio and the Red Caps later renamed the Prophets. After fronting the hard rock …
The career of superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel is affected by social unrest in Venezuela in ¡VIVA MAESTRO!. Venezuelan-born conductor Gustavo Dudamel set the music world on storm when he was appointed music director of the Simón Bolívar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela at the age of 18 and has also been music and artistic director …
A talented jazz musician is tormented by a tragic romance in Learn to Swim. Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) is a saxophone player for a jazz band, who has recently moved into a new apartment, cutting himself off from his bandmates and former life. Suffering from a painful jaw infection that inhibits his playing, Dezi begins …
A Child of Deaf Adults aspires to pursue a singing career in CODA. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of an all-deaf family that includes her fisherman father Frank (Troy Kotsur), mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant). One day, Ruby decides to pursue her love of singing and …
The Foo Fighters encounter a demonic presence in the creepy mansion where they are recording their tenth album in Studio 666. The Foo Fighters consisting of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee are under pressure from their manager Jeremy Shill (Jeff Garlin) to deliver their tenth studio album, …
Peter Jackson restores the 1969 documentary footage of The Beatles recording their album “Let It Be” in The Beatles: Get Back. In January 1969, The Beatles began work on an album with the working title of “Get Back,” with the original plan being to write and perform 14 songs in front of an audience as …
Tribute is paid to one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time in Oscar Peterson: Black+White. Born in Montreal in 1925, Oscar Peterson first rose to prominence in the 1940s and would soon be simply described as the best jazz pianist in the world, with his ability to play at incredibly high tempos. Highlights …
Warning: This Review Will Contain Some Spoilers The torrid love affair between a comedian and opera singer leads to the birth of a very gifted child in Annette. Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a highly provocative stand-up comedian who is in a high-profile relationship with rising opera singer Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard). The couple quickly gets …
The life and career of Aretha Franklin are told in Respect. Ever since childhood, Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) was dressed with an extremely gifted singing voice, though she was not satisfied with the choices of her minister father C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker). Aretha ends up marrying Ted White (Marlon Wayans), who also becomes her manager, …
The forgotten “Black Woodstock” is revisited in Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised). From June 29th to August 24th in the summer of 1969, a predominantly black crowd of 300,000 descended upon Mount Morris Park in Harlem for six Sundays, as part of the Harlem Cultural Festival, which featured performances from …
The life and career of the electronic music pioneer are told in surrealist fashion in Moby Doc. Richard Melville Hall, better known by his stage name of Moby, was in 1965 in Harlem, New York. Suffering from an unhappy childhood and taking solace in the family pets, Moby learned from an early age that while …
A happily married couple’s relationship is tested by the arrival of a mysterious stranger in Happily. Tom (Joel McHale) and Janet (Kerry Bishé) have been extremely happily married for 14 years, which includes an extremely active sex life that comes off as an annoyance to their friends, which consist of fellow couples Karen (Natalie Zea) and …