Mystify: Michael Hutchence (2020)
96%RT Audience Score: 94%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 7 nominations
Engrossing for casual listeners as well as hardcore fans, Mystify: Michael Hutchence sheds a poignant light on a life and career cut short by tragedy.
If you’re a fan of INXS or just love a good rockumentary, Mystify: Michael Hutchence is a must-watch. This flick will have you hooked from start to finish, whether you’re a die-hard fan or just a casual listener. It’s a real tear-jerker, though, so make sure you have some tissues handy. The film does a great job of showing the highs and lows of Hutchence’s life and career, and it’s a real shame that he was taken from us so soon. But even if you’re not familiar with his music, you’ll still find yourself drawn in by the story of this charismatic and talented frontman. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to be mystified.
Production Company(ies)
Ghost Pictures, Passion Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2019
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jan 21, 2020
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
Mystify, Michael Hutchence, documentary, biography, music, Richard Lowenstein, directed by Richard Lowenstein, John Battsek, Andrew de Groot, produced by John Battsek, Andrew de Groot, written by Richard Lowenstein, Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Bono, Lesley Lewis, Lian Lunson, Kathy Lette, starring Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Bono, Lesley Lewis, Lian Lunson, Kathy Lette, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Annie Zaleski, Amy Nicholson, Ed Potton, Wendy Ide, Linda Marric, Trevor Johnston, Greg Wetherall, Stephen A Russell, Carla Hay, Chad Byrnes, Benjamin H Smith, Rob Thomas, MPAA rating, archival footage, private home movies, interviews, INXS, singer, tragedy, poignant light, life, career, casual listeners, hardcore fans, three-dimensional, nuanced view, personality, missing piece, puzzle, heartbreak, self-destruction, talent, fame, fortune, misunderstood showmen
Worldwide gross: $1,082,456
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,250,729
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,544
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 136,394
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Helena Christensen – Self
Bono – Self
Lesley Lewis – Self
Lian Lunson – Self
Kathy Lette – Self
Richard Lowenstein – Director, Writer
John Battsek – Producer
Andrew de Groot – Producer
Director(s)
Richard Lowenstein
Writer(s)
Richard Lowenstein
Producer(s)
John Battsek, Andrew de Groot
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (41)
Mystify avoids sensationalizing Hutchence’s life and instead illuminates a more three-dimensional, nuanced view of Hutchence’s personality.
January 22, 2020
Annie Zaleski
Salon.com
TOP CRITIC
I was frustrated by this doc in that there was so much amazing footage and yet, for me, I couldn’t get much of a sense of who Michael Hutchence was on a deep level.
January 4, 2020
Amy Nicholson
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
[A] strikingly original portrait of an enigmatic man.
October 20, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Ed Potton
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Enlightening and affecting, providing a missing piece in the puzzle of a life prematurely ended.
October 20, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Beyond some unnecessary wild speculations, Mystify does a decent job in offering up a clear narrative arc which is more than enough to keep us hooked till the very end.
October 18, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Linda Marric
HeyUGuys
TOP CRITIC
Another ruminative contemplation of talent, fame and fortune providing no inoculation against heartbreak and self-destruction.
October 17, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Trevor Johnston
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
A touching tribute to one of music’s most misunderstood showmen…
June 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Greg Wetherall
NME
ustralia’s sweetheart Kylie Minogue bares herself like never before, physically and emotionally, in Mystify: Michael Hutchence, the heartbreaking new documentary about the late INXS frontman.
August 16, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Stephen A. Russell
The New Daily (Australia)
Mystify is the first documentary about Michael Hutchence that was made for the big screen. It’s the best way to experience this stellar film, which does justice to a larger-than-life talent that was taken away too soon.
July 12, 2020
Carla Hay
Culture Mix
Although it’s a bit of a mishmash of grainy videos and media footage, the journey is always engaging. Unlike a lot of music biographies that tell you how to feel, Mystify gives its audience the space and wherewithal to put the pieces together.
June 26, 2020 | Rating: A-
Chad Byrnes
L.A. Weekly
Affectionate, tender and takes his entire life into account, not just those fleeting years when he was on top of the pop charts.
April 3, 2020
Benjamin H. Smith
Decider
Lowenstein’s film poignantly represents the fullness of Hutchence’s life, the brilliance and the pain. It’ll send viewers away with both a heavy heart and “What You Need” buzzing in their heads.
January 10, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)…
Plot
A documentary feature about the troubled heart and soul of Michael Hutchence, lead singer and songwriter of INXS.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Kylie Minogue appears as herself in the documentary.
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