The Velvet Underground - A Dazzling Experience

The Velvet Underground 

What a year for documentaries! I didn't think that Todd Haynes would be able to top Edgar Wright's <i>Spark Brothers<i>, but I think I prefer Haynes' work here. To start, I'm a massive fan of The Velvet Underground. Lou Reed is arguably my favorite musician of all time, and I was interested to see how this documentary would portray him. And while they show him to be the genius he is, one of the best parts of this documentary is how it shows the good and bad of Lou Reed. The weird quirks that he had and his distant personality; that ultimately led to him leaving the band. Haynes shows a side of the world I could only have thought of and now got to see in action. The audience and world this band worked in are fascinating. People interested in it should give this documentary a watch.

The artful kaleidoscope experience Haynes has crafted with this documentary. He changed the way I look at documentaries with his directing for this film. He uses The Velvet Underground's music here perfectly. When "Venus in Furs" kicked in and "Heroin" at the end, those were two of the most chilling moments I had with a film this year. I strongly encourage those who have no idea who <I>The Velvet Underground<i> are; see this, if you are a fan of The Velvet Underground, this is the documentary you would want for this band. When I look back on the 2020s, this is going to be a massive bright spot.

Strong Recommend

9/10

- Noah Newcomb

The Velvet Underground Trailer