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Billy Idol Should Be Dead

Play trailer Poster for Billy Idol Should Be Dead 2025 1h 58m Biography Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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Rock icon Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTC era, and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain on of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career.

Critics Reviews

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Sherin Nicole AWFJ.org Nov 3
From gorgeously crisp interviews—in rich black and glowing white—to lush but cheeky animated sequences that play out like fever dreams, weaving...its portrait of a man who’s danced with death too many times, yet emerged not just alive but truly living. Go to Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix Oct 28
As a documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead is essentially a cinematic update of Billy Idol's 2014 memoir, with some added perspectives and a few new revelations. It's meaningful in some areas and shallow in other areas. Go to Full Review Mike McGranaghan Aisle Seat Oct 4
A fascinatingly full portrait of an ‘80s musical giant. Go to Full Review Kat Hughes THN Jul 7
5/5
Billy Idol Should Be Dead highlights exactly why the star’s story is worthy of the biopic treatment. Chronicling his life from teen to grandad, this comprehensive documentary is vital for Idol fans new and old. Go to Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com Jul 1
3/4
Now in his late 60s, Idol is refreshingly candid—echoing his younger swagger when he once declared, “I just want to get screwed to death.” Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Joe H Nov 11 A highly enjoyable, very well made, self-serving puff-piece that shamlessly equates Idol with Bowie, Elvis and even John F. Kennedy. See more Read all reviews
Billy Idol Should Be Dead

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Cast & Crew

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Jonas Akerlund

Director

Billy Idol

Self

Mark Monroe

Producer

Laurence Freedman

Producer

Jonas Akerlund

Producer

Violaine Etienne

Producer
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Billy Idol Should Be Dead

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Movie Info

Synopsis Rock icon Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTC era, and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain on of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career.
Director
Jonas Akerlund
Producer
Mark Monroe, Laurence Freedman, Jonas Akerlund, Violaine Etienne, Orian Williams, Ryan Kroft, Jessica James Batista, China Chow
Distributor
Fremantle
Production Co
Serial Pictures
Genre
Biography, Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 24, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 58m