Beastie Boys Story

2020

1h 59m

Documentary

Music

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List

94%

87 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience.

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Critics Consensus

Here's a Beastie Boys Story they had to tell, about three bad brothers you know so well. It started way back in history -- and for new or old fans, it's a must-see.

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Dr. Steve B

I like them less now. Sooooooo sappy and just terrible. Those two guys are not entertaining or funny at all. Yes the old footage is good. Would've like to see more about how they made hello nasty and relationship with mix master Mike, who is actually entertaining if you've seen "Scratch", but this documentary was bad. Ad-Rock getting all emotional just felt staged, I mean well it was literally staged. Had to turn it off.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/08/23

Full Review

William N

It was a decent documentary and I didn't mind the format. However, it felt like this documentary was a way for the Beastie Boys to purify themselves from whatever transgressions they may have deemed unacceptable in their past. For example, they claim to not like most of the songs from License To Ill, to include some of the most popular songs like, Fight For Your Right To Party, and Girls. Also, they claim that there was another member of the Beastie Boys by the name of Katie, in fact she's mentioned quite often by the Beastie Boys. This seems like a lame attempt to rewrite their history. The Beastie Boys claim to have evolved throughout the years which explains not liking some of their most popular songs which are filled with womanizing themes but they never take accountability for key decisions which they made themselves. Like requesting a large dick on stage during their license to ill tour along with a cage with a woman dancer in it. The Beastie Boys claim that this request was intentionally bonkers because they didn't expect it to be followed up on (yeah ok). They just came across as lame at times throughout this documentary trying to disavow things that they did that are deemed culturally inappropriate now. Own it man, there's nothing wrong with what you did ; without those songs from License To Ill there are no other albums, License To Ill is what made you famous. Stop trying to purify yourselves, it comes across as lame.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/22/23

Full Review

Jamie C

Loved it! a fun, and at times emotional remembering of their wild journey and musical genius. Missing Adam Yauch and bummed out there won't be new music from the trio, but happy for everything they already gave...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/23

Full Review

Thunderbird F

I loved this so much I teared up. A fine tribute to MCA and a great trip down memory lane.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/01/23

Full Review

Gareth v

A fantastic music doco that is about life long friendships as much as it is about the music. Funny, warm & honest.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/20/23

Full Review

yash b

"Beastie Boys Story" is an innovative and unique documentary. Even if you're not a die hard fan of the Beastie Boys, this is still a very interesting and enjoyable movie. This movie takes an unconventional approach to telling the story with some of the former band members telling the story to a live audience. I think it made the movie feel a lot more personal and made it more effective in some of the more emotional moments. I personally only know a few of this group's songs but I am interested to check out more after watching this. Their story is consistently interesting and I genuinely felt like I was seeing the story of three friends play out instead of just a music group, which felt special. Overall, I think this is a worthwhile success story that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Spike Jonze

Director

Mike D

Self

Adam Horovitz

Self

Spike Jonze

Screenwriter

Jason Baum

Producer

Amanda Adelson

Producer

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Beastie Boys Story: Teaser Trailer

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Beastie Boys Story: Trailer 1

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Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

Beastie Boys Story [is] appealing even to rap novices, offering a rare opportunity for two artists to track their own creative, personal, and moral evolution.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 11, 2020

Full Review

Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

"'What would Yauch do?' is always on our minds," Ad-Rock and Mike D admit, and that's about when I started tearing up. And stayed weepy throughout!

May 9, 2020

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

It's all pretty straightforward. But Diamond and Horowitz are great storytellers - no surprise there - and Jonze adds video clips and photos on the giant screen behind them (and makes the occasional mistake, played for laughs).

Rated: 4.5/5

May 3, 2020

Full Review

Jamie Healy

Radio Times

Whether ridiculing their own fashion mistakes or showing regret over the misogyny of early lyrics, our hosts are candid in the telling of their group's rise, fall and resurgence.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 4, 2024

Full Review

Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

If you listen to Beastie Boys, Jonze’s technique — a familiar blend of rough and smooth, high tech and low tech — comes correct. If you don’t listen to Beastie Boys, the movie serves as a biographical and musical introduction.

Feb 7, 2024

Full Review

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

Stuff.co.nz

Diamond and Horovitz take a nostalgic look back on their band and friendship, spanning over 40 years, for a story that blends love and music.

Oct 7, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience.

Director: Spike Jonze
Producer: Mike D, Adam Horovitz, Dechen Wangdu-Yauch, John Silva, John Cutcliffe, Peter Smith, Thomas Benski, Dan Bowen, Sam Bridger, Michele Anthony, David Blackman, Ashley Newton
Screenwriter: Spike Jonze
Production Co: Polygram
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 29, 2020
Runtime: 1h 59m

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