Listen up and tune in to these top docs
Music documentaries have been among the hottest and most lauded programming throughout the pandemic, from Peter Jackson’s epic dissection of the making of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” in “Get Back,” to Questlove’s Oscar-winning revisitation of the star-packed 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in “Summer of Soul.” And the hits just keep on coming. Among the performers getting the video-retrospective treatment in the coming months include backup-singer-turned-star Sheryl Crow, the late rapper known as XXXTentacion, multi-talented Latin titan Jennifer Lopez and country rebel Tanya Tucker. Here’s a look at 11 new music docs vying for your eyes and ears in 2022:
‘George Michael Freedom Uncut’
George Michael wanted the world to hear his shy-chubby-kid-to-handsome-pop-idol story firsthand, and was the driving force behind the 2017 documentary, “George Michael Freedom.” The movie featured interviews with other superstars – from Elton John to Linda Evangelista – as well as a narration by the British-born Georgios Panayiotou. It became his final statement, as Michael died in 2016, before its release.
The producers behind this new “Uncut” version of the doc say it will feature some never-seen-before footage and upgraded video quality. Otherwise, it will retell the tale, focused on many ’90s highs and lows, including the making of Michael’s bestselling 1990 album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1,” and the death of his partner, Anselmo Feleppa, of AIDS in 1993.
Directors: George Michael and David Austin
Where and when to watch: In theaters, June 22