What We Do Is Secret

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What We Do Is Secret

R

2007

1h 32m

Biography

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A biopic on the legendary punk band the Germs.

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Critics Consensus

Despite its dynamic subject and reckless anti-glamor, this biopic about the legendary punk rocker Darby Crash fails to translate the excitement its subject generated.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

10/17/2008

2.5/4

Despite its thorough attention to historical detail and the obvious love of all involved for their shattered subject, What We Do Is Secret is, in the end, awfully sterile for a movie about the Germs.

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

10/10/2008

2.5/4

While What We Do Is Secret may not be remembered for much more than West's performance, it's an impersonation worth saluting.

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Amy Nicholson

I.E. Weekly

09/12/2008

C+

The battering live shows prove West's dedication to the role, but as always there's too little insight into both music and musicians and too much period design

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Steve Erickson

Gay City News

03/09/2018

"What We Do Is Secret" makes a bid for entering Crash into rock'n'roll mythology.

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Kelly Vance

East Bay Express

08/15/2011

Long live the baby monsters.

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Sonny Bunch

Washington Times

08/30/2009

2/4

A docudrama with the production qualities of a made-for-MTV movie about a band that recorded one album and never finished a gig and whose lead singer was a fascist poseur.

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05/12/2021

This movie is criminally underrated. This is hands down one of the best films of all time. Shane West went above and beyond as The Germs frontman Darby Crash. He later on went on tour with the actual band. They were also cameos in the film's ending. It's powerful, entertaining and dark.

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12/17/2019

I would have gave it all 5 stars but I didn't, this is a really good movie. Good actors, acting and based on the punk rock band of the 70's The Germs. Based on the life of Darby Crash and his band The Germs rock bio movie so worth the watch. A great go to movie for any fan of Darby Crash, The Germs or punk rock music. The actor that plays him Shane West did so good playing Darby Crash.

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12/15/2018

Darby Crash lives once more in Shane West's uncanny performance.

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07/02/2015

Movie is an incoherent mess. What a shame.

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05/01/2014

good musical bio-pic

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09/13/2013

It tries but fails. Very hard to take it seriously. Looks too much like people playing dress up, no matter how hard the cast try.

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Rodger Grossman

Director

Shane West

Darby Crash

Bijou Phillips

Lorna Doom

Rick Gonzalez

Pat Smear

Noah Segan

Don Bolles

Ashton Holmes

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Synopsis

A biopic on the legendary punk band the Germs.

Director: Rodger Grossman
Producer: Rodger Grossman, Kevin Mann
Screenwriter: Michelle Baer Ghaffari, Rodger Grossman
Production Co: Coalition Films, Foundation Films
Rating: R (Brief Sexuality|Language|Drug Use)
Genre: Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 8, 2008
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 24, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $58.8K
Runtime: 1h 32m