Better Than Something: Jay Reatard

2010

1h 30m

Documentary

Biography

Drama

List

80%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

The life and work of the Memphis-based punk musician.

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Audience Member

Features some of the last footage of the garage rockers life, Better Than Something is a loving portrait of the now deceased band leader. Mixing between ear splitting live footage and sombre candid interviews with Reatard himself, this may not be everyones cup of tea, but a must for fans of the singer.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Entertaining insight combined with raw concert footage sum to a appreciable rock doc about a modern day punk rocker.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Insightful look into the life and times of this important musician, never boring, well-directed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Alex Hammond

Director

Ian Markiewicz

Director

King Louie Bankston

Actor

Shawn Foree

Actor

Ryan Rousseau

Actor

Alicja Trout

Actor

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New York Magazine/Vulture

Lindsey himself makes for a fairly outgoing interview subject, but the real attraction here is the dedication and care shown for him and his memory by the close-knit community of Memphis musicians and fans.

Oct 12, 2012

Full Review

Eddie Cockrell

Variety

Better Than Something: Jay Reatard offers an uncommonly intimate portrait of the prolific garage-punk phenom who died of a drug/alcohol cocktail in 2010.

Oct 12, 2012

Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

[The directors] cede narrative structure to their interview subjects, which may fulfill some goal of objectivity but cheats the viewer of depth or a clear point of view.

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 1, 2012

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Kathy Fennessy

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Better Than Something isn't bad, but it never really gets to the bottom of Reatard's anger issues.

Aug 22, 2017

Full Review

John Beifuss

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

An intimate if drive-by quasi-portrait of the artist in mostly his own self-deprecating, wryly humorous and sometimes painfully revealing words...

Rated: 3/4

Mar 2, 2012

Full Review

Shawn Levy

Oregonian

It's evident that he would have evolved as a musician and a man, and this tight and candid film makes you regret that he no longer can.

Rated: B+

Mar 1, 2012

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Synopsis

The life and work of the Memphis-based punk musician.

Director: Alex Hammond, Ian Markiewicz
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2K
Runtime: 1h 30m