Searching for Sugar Man

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Searching for Sugar Man

PG-13

2012

1h 26m

Documentary

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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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Sep 1, 2018

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

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Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

Jan 7, 2013

3/4

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.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

Oct 5, 2012

...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.

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Michael Leader

Den of Geek

May 3, 2024

3/5

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...

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Rebecca Schiller

NME (New Musical Express)

May 4, 2021

4/5

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...

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Mar 10, 2021

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

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Chris B

@Sgt.Rock1965 Jul 1, 2026

Sensational! I was told about this documentary around Christmas 2012. How grateful I was as soon as I watched it. The massive power of music can never be easily summed up. Maybe for you, like it did to me, this movie can sure do it justice. The impossible and overwhelming made in-the-flesh possible! Looking to experience something good when you have had enough of the bad? Watch “Searching For Sugar Man.” I do, once a year (I bought it on a blu-ray dvd in early 2013) with no loss of awe. 👏🏻👏🏻 🥹❤️

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Nick S

@Catnip448 May 20, 2026

How anyone could NOT love this movie is beyond me. To see this wonderful musician get his due was such a joy to behold. Malik Bendjelloul did a magnificent job on a shoestring budget and you can tell he put his whole being into making the documentary. Unfortunately, winning the Oscar put him in the position of "how do you top this." His depression was too overwhelming obviously and he ended his life. Such a shame as he was every bit as sweet a person as Rodriguez.

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Tony C

@RT43231777 Mar 26, 2026

To truly enjoy this documentary start out with no research into the subject matter, just sit back and enjoy. I believe this to be the best Documentary I have ever seen, it will imprint on your brain a story so incredible you will remember it forever. Try it you will be blown away in how well the story is shown.

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Jan 18, 2026

Better than fiction. A dream of reaching his audience on Rodriguez’s side and the ability to enjoy an artist thought lost on the other.

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Thomas S

@RT53929595 Oct 19, 2025

Incredible. I shed a tear at the end — something I never do while watching documentaries. This film perfectly captures what could happen in a world without the internet. Two main takeaways: 1) Home is acceptance. 2) Being an artist means seeing through the surrounding mediocrity.

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Brian S

@RT34321100 Sep 27, 2025

A musical resurrection that feels like stumbling onto buried treasure, where a forgotten voice rises from silence to claim immortality … it is perhaps the truest example of the pursuit of the American Dream actually working out, and while delayed, the impact of Rodriguez’s art is not diminished.

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Malik Bendjelloul

Director

Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

Actor

Dennis Coffey

Actor

Mike Theodore

Actor

Dan DiMaggio

Actor

Jerome Ferretti

Actor

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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

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