The Velvet Underground

Play trailer

2:15

The Velvet Underground

R

2021

1h 50m

Documentary

Music

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

136 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock 'n' roll's most revered bands. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, "The Velvet Underground" shows just how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture. The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with a treasure trove of never-before-seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art that creates an immersive experience into what founding member John Cale describes as the band's creative ethos: "how to be elegant and how to be brutal."

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Velvet Underground takes a fittingly idiosyncratic approach to delivering a rock documentary that captures the band as well as its era.

Read Critics Reviews

Nicolas Rapold

Sight & Sound

May 14

Todd Haynes eschews music documentary conventions to pen an ode to Cale, Reed, Tucker & Co. as vibrant as their music.

Go to Full Review

J. Hoberman

Tablet

03/25/2022

Without belaboring the point, The Velvet Underground also makes the case for Warhol’s enduring significance.

Go to Full Review

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

12/22/2021

3.5/4

This bracing collage is pure rock bliss and a poke in the eye to old-style storytelling.

Go to Full Review

Ryan Swen

Taipei Mansions

Sep 5

Very much the work of a fan, of someone in love with not just the brilliant and daring music, but also the whole vibe.

Go to Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

01/16/2025

5/5

The director’s admiration for The Velvet Underground is obvious but that doesn’t blunt his critical edge.

Go to Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

07/18/2024

4/5

Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground is everything the band was: experimental, unique, energetic and, above all else, hypnotic.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

faith

11/04/2021

I love box office man

See more

A. S

@Abc123722 Feb 5

Great well produced documentary by Todd Haynes. Haynes, has been strongly influenced by Reed and the Velvets. The film is two hours,the time flies fast. It's was too fast to really deep dive into the white light/white heat through the self titled album. It skips the tracks for what became the VU or the story behind rejecting and shelving that album. It also cuts short and ends early without mentioning the Yule 'Squeeze' album. Overall it is a good effort of a documentary with Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison both passed, using new interviews of the living members.

See more

Daniel B

@observor 02/11/2025

Interesting approach with lots of footage, but I wish they talked more about the music than the personalities.

See more

James B

@RT01579467 09/19/2024

Incredible documentary. Really gives you an insight into the band

See more

Sams K

@RT65506530 08/23/2024

The best band ever.

See more

Torin F

@nonlinearize 01/13/2024

VELVET UNDERGROUND effectively invokes the experimental nature of the band in relating their story and enduring legacy, creating an interesting portrait of both the band and the era that informs and entertains, whether you're a fan or not.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Todd Haynes

Director

Mary Woronov

Self

Jonathan Richman

Self

John Cale

Self

Maureen Ann Tucker

Actor

Sterling Morrison

Actor

Oasis: Supersonic

84%

86%

Oasis: Supersonic

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Oasis: Supersonic

The Sparks Brothers

95%

98%

The Sparks Brothers

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Sparks Brothers

Carlos

100%

95%

Carlos

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Carlos

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words

92%

74%

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words

Watchlist

Whitney

88%

76%

Whitney

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Whitney

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Velvet Underground: Trailer 1

2:15

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock 'n' roll's most revered bands. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, "The Velvet Underground" shows just how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture. The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with a treasure trove of never-before-seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art that creates an immersive experience into what founding member John Cale describes as the band's creative ethos: "how to be elegant and how to be brutal."

Director: Todd Haynes
Producer: Christopher Clements, Julie Goldman, David Blackman, Carolyn Hepburn, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
Screenwriter: Todd Haynes
Distributor: Apple TV+
Production Co: Killer Films, Killer Content, Motto Pictures
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Nudity|Language|Some Drug Material)
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2021
Runtime: 1h 50m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings