Little Richard: I Am Everything review – thrilling documentary about the rock’n’roll pioneer
Lisa Cortés’s richly enjoyable film examines the alter egos and queer theories surrounding a conflicted star who was way ahead of his time
Little Richard: I Am Everything review – irresistible tribute to a rock’n’roll genius
Documentary about the trailblazing musician who influenced stars from the Beatles to Bowie also looks back at the artists who inspired him
Kevin Hewitt obituary
Film editor and director of music videos for Aswad, Depeche Mode and other 1980s acts
March 2023
Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now review – self-aware star struggling with weight of expectation
While some of this documentary following the making of the Scottish songwriter’s second album falls into cliched soul-baring territory, Capaldi’s wit and talent shine through
Dance Craze review – thrilling documentary captures the explosive energy of 2 Tone
Joe Massot’s vivid 1981 film about the British ska scene brims with life, sweat and the faces of ecstatic fans
Christopher Nupen obituary
Maker of classical music documentaries who sought to capture the magic of live performance and the aspirations of the performers
February 2023
I Get Knocked Down review – enjoyable blast of pop history from Chumbawamba frontman
With a streak of humility utterly foreign to most music documentaries, Dunstan Bruce recounts the band’s successes – and failures – as pop stars and political activists
January 2023
Heading West: A Story About a Band Called Shooglenifty review – fond tribute to a charismatic fiddler
The talent and sex appeal of the Scottish folk band’s late frontman Angus G Grant remembered in meandering documentary
Oscar Peterson: Black + White review – profile of pianist lets the music do the talking
A somewhat reverent look at the jazz piano virtuoso includes many famous contributors
If These Walls Could Sing review – mystery tour of Abbey Road Studios
Mary McCartney’s documentary about the legendary home to the Beatles’ and many other stars’ recordings is an enjoyable diversion
December 2022
Anonymous Club review – bruisingly candid portrait of singer Courtney Barnett
25 Years of UK Garage review – roll-call of electronic music genre’s glory days
November 2022
Monsters of doc: Mark Kermode’s top 20 music documentaries
For our festival-averse film critic, movies about concerts and musicians are essential viewing – and he believes we are living through a golden age for the form
October 2022
Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues review – swinging doc is a stirring tribute
Freewheeling across the trumpeter’s pathbreaking career, Sacha Jenkins’ immensely enjoyable study speeds through giddyingly rich source material
This Is National Wake review – the story of South Africa’s multiracial punk rockers
The rise and fall of the apartheid-era band is unspooled in this occasionally dazzling but often lacklustre documentary
In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 review – a rollicking workplace comedy
In the Court of the Crimson King: angular, hilarious portrait of prog rock’s noodlers-in-chief
Nothing Compares review – the uncompromising talent of Sinéad O’Connor
September 2022
Nothing compares: how Sinéad O’Connor’s fearless activism helped change the world
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song review – a thorough, respectful documentary
