Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon

2011

1 hr. 27 min.

Documentary

List

57%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Filmmaker Stephen C. Mitchell goes behind the scenes to document the rise of Tennessee rock band Kings of Leon.

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Audience Member

"Talinhina Sky" is psychological examination of the band Kings of Leon. It helps the viewer to better understand who exactly the band is. There is a grand corruption of Christianity that inevitably leads to the brothers dismissal of the faith and disinterest as well. Sadly the film lacks a cohesive story and therefore becomes more of a montage of broll shots. Even so the depths of darkness and lostness create for an intriguing watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

I really knew very little of the band, it's music and it's story coming into the film. But I love music docs and this one didn't disappoint. I was surprised by the band's background. It's definitely a warts and all doc and I think that's what makes it as good as it is. I do wish there was more emphasis on their music, their creative process and their journey in the music industry. But it was still a good overview of how they formed and their first 10 years in the world of music.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

It's nothing new when it comes to concert/rock documentaries, but for fans of the band this inside look at their inception and life is pretty interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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nick e

It's not the best music documentary out there, but it gives you enough of an insight into the origins and formation of The Kings of Leon.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

I found the lack of cohesion/fractured style of this doc frustrating and I wish their had been more music but nonetheless, this is an interesting portrait of a group of young artists in a state of flux and maturation. How can it not fascinate that these young men were raised as deeply religious scions of an itinerant Pentecostal preacher? And they make no attempt to hide or obfuscate their backwoods impoverished roots. Quite the opposite, (and I admired them for it).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One line summary: Documentary of the roots of Kings of Leon. ------------------- The Followills are family: deeply religious, poor, with musical traditions in the church. Their relatives are interviewed. There are extensive snapshots of the band on its way up, coupled with footage of the reactions from within the family during that process. Segments of the film compare and contrast: the family's poverty versus the successful band's enormous wealth; the stern religion of many of the family versus the drug use, sexual freedom, and foul language of the band; the political conservatism of the family versus the relatively PC outlook of the band. These disparities have all sorts of fallout, as one sees throughout the film. Many of the family are happy for the band; some worry for their welfare. Much of the white hot energy of the band's music and lyrics come from these harsh differences. Some of the band members deal with these issues consciously, and the process seems not to be over. In the long run, how well will the band's members keep dealing with the family issues? If they reach resolution, will the band still have the same level of fire and creativity? -----Scores----- Cinematography: 5/10 Varies quite a bit. Most of it is fairly bad. It was nice to see some of Oklahoma again. Sound: 6/10 I expect hugely wonderful sound on a movie about a successful rock group. Compared to the sound in Metallica: Through the Never, this is just week-old porridge. In addition, there is very little music actually played from the Kings of Leon: two partial songs at the end, which was only a little redemption. Acting: z/10 Documentary; this does not apply. Screenplay: 7/10 To my mind, there were too many cuts and joins. The same points could have been made with three examples instead of twenty. On the whole, though, the exposition was still effective, just redundant.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

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Stephen C. Mitchell

Director

Caleb Followill

Actor

Jared Followill

Actor

Matthew Followill

Actor

Nathan Followill

Actor

Kings of Leon

Actor

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Independent (UK)

Rated: 2/5

Jul 14, 2011

Full Review

Andrew Pulver

Guardian

It's astonishing enough that these mumbling hellraisers grew up as the deeply believing scions of itinerant revivalist Christians, but when the camera is turned on their backwoods family and neighbours, the film strikes gold.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 30, 2011

Full Review

Charles Gant

Variety

The boys return to this backwoods retreat for an annual family reunion that fascinates Mitchell, and it's here that the film discovers its distinctive flavor.

Jun 27, 2011

Full Review

Brent Simon

Shockya.com

Talihina Sky unfolds somewhere between fan document and tantalizing expose, but this is a portrait of a bunch of young guys in various states of emotional flux and maturation.

Rated: C+

Aug 31, 2011

Full Review

Alistair Harkness

Scotsman

Great rock docs need a great story if they're to be of interest to anyone other than a band's hardcore fanbase and that's the one thing Talihina Sky: The Story of the Kings of Leon lacks.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 4, 2011

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Brian Pendreigh

Radio Times

An insight into an America that many may associate more readily with Steinbeck than the 21st century.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 23, 2011

Full Review

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Stephen C. Mitchell goes behind the scenes to document the rise of Tennessee rock band Kings of Leon.

Director: Stephen C. Mitchell
Executive Producer: Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Mathew Followill, Nathan Followill
Production Co: Phear Creative
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 20, 2017
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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