The Velvet Underground (2021)
90%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 36 nominations
The Velvet Underground takes a fittingly idiosyncratic approach to delivering a rock documentary that captures the band as well as its era.
If you’re a fan of The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes’ documentary is like a warm hug from Lou Reed himself. And if you’re not a fan, well, you might just become one after watching this visual and aural feast. Haynes’ creative use of vintage materials and rejection of traditional music documentary tropes perfectly captures the band’s avant-garde spirit. Plus, who doesn’t love a good poke in the eye to old-style storytelling? Overall, The Velvet Underground is a must-watch for anyone who wants to understand the enduring significance of this iconic band.
Production Company(ies)
Red Envelope Entertainment, Representational Pictures,
Distributor
Apple TV+
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, sexual content, nudity and some drug material
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:1h 50m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2021
Genre(s)
Documentary/Music
Keyword(s)
documentary, music, The Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes, Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, David Blackman, Carolyn Hepburn, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon, John Cale, Lou Reed, Maureen Ann Tucker, Sterling Morrison, Mary Woronov, Jonathan Richman, R rating, English, Apple TV+, box office, budget, reviewed by J Hoberman, Peter Howell, Chris Waywell, Pat Brown, Andrew Dansby, Mark Feeney, Daniel Howat, John Paul King, David Reddish, James Luxford, John Beifuss, genre, MPAA rating, critic reviews, producer names, director names, writer names, actor names, interviews, performances, recordings, Warhol films, experimental art, cultural touchstone, rock ‘n’ roll, literary, realistic, high art, street culture, creative ethos, elegant, brutal, drug material, language, sexual content, nudity, subscription, streaming, theaters, runtime, distributor, photos, videos, audience score, critic consensus, top critics, fresh, rotten, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, careers, newsletter, Fandango
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
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
Jonathan Richman – Self
John Cale – Self
Maureen Ann Tucker –
Sterling Morrison –
Lou Reed –
Director(s)
Todd Haynes
Writer(s)
Todd Haynes
Producer(s)
Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, David Blackman, Carolyn Hepburn, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
Film Festivals
Cannes, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 36 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (132) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (129) | Rotten (3)
Without belaboring the point, The Velvet Underground also makes the case for Warhol’s enduring significance.
March 25, 2022
J. Hoberman
Tablet
TOP CRITIC
This bracing collage is pure rock bliss and a poke in the eye to old-style storytelling.
December 22, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
If you already love the Velvet Underground, this is two hours of visual and aural bliss. If you don’t, same.
December 3, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Chris Waywell
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Claims for the eternal qualities of any music are dubious at best, but what Haynes exhibits through his own complex, textured documentary is that the Velvet Underground’s music remains fertile ground for inspiration.
December 3, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Pat Brown
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Haynes jettisons the traditional role of talking heads; he dispatches incidental music; he regards emotional arcs and sentimentality the way he might a toothache. He made a film that feels of a kind with the subject.
December 3, 2021
Andrew Dansby
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
What makes a rock band worth attending to a half century after its breakup isn’t its personalities or backstory or context, interesting as those can be, and here they’re all highly interesting. It’s the music.
December 3, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Mark Feeney
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Haynes’ use of the documentary medium is as remarkable as one might expect from the acclaimed director. The use of sound and image revolts against the traditions of the music documentaries genre, opting instead for an appropriately creative journey.
May 20, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Daniel Howat
Next Best Picture
A piece of pure cinema that exemplifies its genre while transcending it.
May 19, 2022
John Paul King
Washington Blade
The resulting pastiche feels tailor-made for The Velvet Underground, a group that took influence from different genders, sexualities, artistic scenes, disciplines, mediums and cultures.
March 13, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Reddish
Queerty
The Velvet Underground offers an interesting look at the band and its era that will, for the fans, at least, be essential viewing.
March 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
James Luxford
City AM
Todd Haynes documentary, sculpted largely from vintage materials, persuasively presents the Warhol-abetted, New York-incubated band as avatars of an enviable rock-and-roll authenticity.
February 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
This documentary film focuses on the band, and its members, to a fault. What the film does well is to describe the band, the environment in which it was formed, and the cultural milieu of that time and place.
January 22, 2022 | Rating: B
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope…
Plot
“The Velvet Underground” is a documentary that explores the rise of the iconic rock band and their impact on music and culture, featuring in-depth interviews, never-before-seen performances, and experimental art.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Velvet Underground includes Mary Woronov, Jonathan Richman, John Cale, Maureen Ann Tucker, Sterling Morrison, and Lou Reed.
Todd-Haynes.jpg
