Searching for Sugar Man

Play trailer

Searching for Sugar Man

PG-13

Released Jul 27, 2012

1h 26m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

133 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Though he faded into obscurity in the U.S., an early '70s musician known as Rodriguez became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumored to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man's true fate.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

A fascinating portrait of a forgotten musical pioneer, Searching for Sugar Man is by turns informative and mysterious.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

The best, most touching, most humbling documentary I've ever seen about a musician I've never heard of.

Sep 1, 2018

Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

At 85 minutes, it's a tight, sharp achievement, yet one of the things I love about it is simple: It moves to a relaxed rhythm, in sync with its slightly otherworldly subject.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 7, 2013

Full Review

Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

...it isn't merely the content that makes Searching for Sugar Man so affecting: it's the way that Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul sets up the story and peels away the mystery of Rodriguez, one layer at time.

Oct 5, 2012

Full Review

Michael Leader

Den of Geek

There is also plenty to unpack in the film's various narrative threads, from the fascinating investigative trail that the searchers follow, chasing down record label owners, producers, and Detroit barflies, to the story's exotically pre-digital flavour...

Rated: 3/5

May 3, 2024

Full Review

Rebecca Schiller

NME (New Musical Express)

The driving force of Searching For Sugar Man is the fans, and their journey from the discovery of their favourite singer to the sell-out South African shows he plays 30 years after...

Rated: 4/5

May 4, 2021

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

If you go see Searching for Sugar Man - and I suggest you do - try not to know too much about him beforehand.

Mar 10, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Josh W

I've made a list of movies that have won the Oscar for best Documentary, and I have been watching each one as they pop up on various streaming services. For some of the Oscar Winners, I had an idea what I was getting into before viewing. And then there were others that I went into having no idea what to expect other than the IMDB and Rotten Tomato two-line blurbs. What I have learned is that no matter how uninteresting a Best Documentary Oscar winner may seem by reading the title and looking at the movie poster, every storyline ends up surprisingly surpassing my expectations. Searching For Sugar Man is the extreme example of the aforementioned; a movie that interested me almost not at all by looking at the title, movie poster and two-line description. And I was in store for a shock. The movie documents the intertwining of several miracles. One miracle is the life of a man named Sixto Rodriguez, who is walking, living, breathing poetry. Another miracle occurs after Mr. Rodriguez pours his soul into two record albums in the early 1970s, both of which completely fail to sell to an American audience. But his art, completely unbeknownst to Rodriguez, reaches ears in a faraway land. And it affects people. And it catalyzes a revolution. Yet another miracle occurs 25 years later when Sixto, a humble, poor, unknowing man finally learns of the impact his art had on the world. This story is more amazing than a fairy tale. And it is true. And everyone should see this movie. It should be shown in schools. And when you watch it, you will be in complete awe that something like this has actually happened in our world.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

Geke g

Im searching for this

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/08/24

Full Review

Bahad j

I really liked the characters and actions of the actors

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/07/24

Full Review

Munkhchimeg T

Very decent movie. Never bored for any minute

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/02/24

Full Review

Gnr E

Best of best musician film ever!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/24

Full Review

Shael

Too much searching and too little Sugarman.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Malik Bendjelloul

Director

Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

Actor

Dennis Coffey

Actor

Mike Theodore

Actor

Dan DiMaggio

Actor

Jerome Ferretti

Actor

Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

82%

80%

Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos

Watchlist

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

92%

83%

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

Watchlist

A Murder in the Park

76%

68%

A Murder in the Park

Watchlist

I am not your negro

99%

83%

I am not your negro

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I am not your negro

The Great Invisible

94%

73%

The Great Invisible

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Though he faded into obscurity in the U.S., an early '70s musician known as Rodriguez became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumored to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man's true fate.

Director: Malik Bendjelloul
Producer: George Chignell, Simon Chinn, Nicole Stott, Malik Bendjelloul
Screenwriter: Malik Bendjelloul
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Passion Pictures, Red Box Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Drug References|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.7M
Runtime: 1h 26m

Most Popular at Home Now