The Go-Go's (film)
| The Go-Go's | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | Alison Ellwood |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sam Painter |
| Edited by | Brett Banks |
| Music by | Matt Hauser |
Production companies | Fine Point Films PolyGram Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Showtime |
Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
The Go-Go's is a 2020 American-Irish-Canadian documentary film directed and produced by Alison Ellwood.[1] The film follows the rise of the girl band the Go-Go's.
The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, followed by its release in the United States on June 30, 2020, by Showtime. It has a 98 minute runtime. On March 16, 2024 it premiered on The CW making it the first non pay television network to air the film.
Synopsis
The Go-Go's become the first successful, all-girl band to write their own songs and play their own instruments while making it to No. 1 on the charts. The Go-Go's follows the rise of a band starting from the LA punk scene.
Interviewees
- Charlotte Caffey, lead guitar, keyboardist
- Belinda Carlisle, lead vocalist
- Gina Schock, drummer
- Kathy Valentine, bassist, rhythm guitar
- Jane Wiedlin, rhythm guitar
- Margot Olavarria, former bassist with the Go-Go's
- Elissa Bello, former drummer with the Go-Go's
- Paula Jean Brown, former bassist with the Go-Go's
- Ginger Canzoneri, former manager of the Go-Go's
- Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill
- Pleasant Gehman, writer and musician
- Lynval Golding of the Specials
- Lee Thompson of Madness
- Stewart Copeland of the Police
- Chris Connelly, journalist
- Martha Quinn, former MTV video jockey
- Miles Copeland III, music executive with I.R.S. Records
- Dave Robinson, music executive with Stiff Records
Critical reception
The review consensus at Rotten Tomatoes for The Go-Go's had 98% of critics recommending the film, based on 45 reviews and an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Emulating the spirit of punk in form and function, The Go-Go's is a raucous celebration of the pioneering band and a stylistic knockout that will blow viewers' hair back."[2] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[3]
Reviewers praised the film, noting it would appeal to fans and non-fans alike.[4][5][6] Reviews noted the candor that the members of the band bring to their contemporary interviews.[7][8][9][10][11]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | Best Music Documentary | The Go-Go's | Won | [12] |
| Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary | The Go-Go's | Won | |||
| Best Documentary | The Go-Go's | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Focal International Awards | Best Use of Footage in a Music Production | Alison Ellwood | Nominated | [13] |
References
- ^ "the-go-go-s". www.sundance.org. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "The Go-Go's (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "The Go-Go's Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ Fear, David (July 31, 2020). "'The Go-Go's' Gives '80s New Wave Band a Proper Music Doc (Finally)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Willman, Chris (January 25, 2020). "The Go-Go's on Sundance Doc: Neither 'America's Sweethearts' Nor 'Drug-Crazed Demons'". Variety. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, John (July 30, 2020). "'The Go-Go's' Review: From Punk Band to Pop Pioneers". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Lopez, Kristen (July 31, 2020). "'The Go-Go's' Review: Showtime Documentary Explores a Hall of Fame Slight". IndieWire. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (July 30, 2020). "A movie that Go-Go's there: Documentary digs deep into band's history". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Review: 'The Go-Gos' get the kind of catchy, layered documentary every '80s icon deserves". Los Angeles Times. July 31, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Showtime's 'The Go-Go's' Documentary Breaks The Seal". NPR.org. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ Stuever, Hank. "Review | For too long, the story of the Go-Go's was a cautionary tale. A new documentary turns it into a triumph". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "2020: 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards – Winners | Critics Choice Awards". members.criticschoice.com. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ "The FOCAL International Awards 2021". Focal International. Retrieved February 14, 2026.