Flipside

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2:03

Flipside

Released May 31, 2024

1h 35m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

97%

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39 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. FLIPSIDE documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. In the process, Wilcha captures This American Life icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie's ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and uncovers the unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive--a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Fantastic... I look at this from a wee bit outside of the shell, but still very clearly.

Jul 13, 2024

Full Review

Cindy White

AV Club

Make no mistake, though this documentary may be a collection of seemingly random threads, there is a cohesive narrative here. It’s the story of the second coming-of-age, when you start shifting your gaze from the future to the past.

Rated: A-

Jul 4, 2024

Full Review

Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Chris Wilcha’s documentary explores life, love, and art through his connection to a venerable record store.

Jun 28, 2024

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Style Weekly (Richmond, VA)

“Flipside” is catnip, then, for people who suspect that they are failed artists and cowards of convention, though normies should be moved as well by the pall of middle-age that hangs over it. T

Mar 21, 2025

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Tim Miller

Cape Cod Wave Magazine

The segments blend into something profound, as they deal with life’s choices, the passage of time, finding meaning – all exemplified by the lives of Wilcha’s subjects. ... One of the film’s messages: It’s never too late. That is, until it is.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 17, 2024

Full Review

Manuel Betancourt

FilmWeek (LAist)

Easily my favorite film of the week... A documentary about failed endeavors and learning to let go.

Jul 13, 2024

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Christina Blackaller

Go see this film. Dont even read about it. Just go.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/09/24

Full Review

David D

A poignant and bittersweet film that transcends the confines of its setting in a record store. It's a deeply reflective journey that speaks to anyone who is both sentimental and intellectually attuned, particularly those with a passion for music. This film resonated with me on a profound level, and I truly appreciated its raw honesty and emotional depth.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/01/25

Full Review

Rebecca T

This movie knits several “unfinished” documentary ideas together and, in the process, offers an inside look into creatives, as told by several artists from different genres. Loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/25

Full Review

John S

The movie had no continuity. It moved from one scenario to the next without tying them together. I had not heard of most of the people that the "documentary" alluded to.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/23/24

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Christopher Wilcha

Director

Christopher Wilcha

Self

Joe Beshenkovsky

Screenwriter

Adam Samuel Goldman

Screenwriter

Christopher Wilcha

Screenwriter

Joe Beshenkovsky

Producer

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Flipside: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. FLIPSIDE documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. In the process, Wilcha captures This American Life icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie's ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and uncovers the unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive--a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of trying to live a creative life.

Director: Christopher Wilcha
Producer: Joe Beshenkovsky, Michelle Currinder, Alex Fisch, Adam Samuel Goldman, James A. Smith, Christopher Wilcha
Screenwriter: Joe Beshenkovsky, Adam Samuel Goldman, Christopher Wilcha
Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboratories
Production Co: Deep Cut, Every Other, Exploded View
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 31, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 1h 35m

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