Filmmaker Brett Morgen’s documentary about larger-than-life artist David Bowie, Moonage Daydream, is soon coming to HBO Max. Bowie is undeniably among the most elusive and influential personalities of the 20th century. From his eccentric costumes to his idiosyncratic persona to his epic music, the documentary covers every aspect of his life with permission from the artist’s estate.
The documentary from the Oscar-winning filmmaker has been a labor of love and aims to illuminate the life and genius of Bowie. The documentary is highlighted by the singer's own narration and is told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music. The feature made its debut at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews, with critics praising the film for its experimental, unconventional structure that explores the English singer-songwriter’s creative, musical, and spiritual journey.
What to Expect from Moonage Daydream
Along with speaking to close friends and family, Morgen collaborated with Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend, and music producer Tony Visconti as well as Academy Award-winning sound mixer Paul Massey to bring in the final touches to the experimental film. The companion album covers forty-three tracks, spanning Bowie’s extensive, long-ranging career, featuring iconic tracks like “Let’s Dance,” “Starman,” and “Heroes," along with some extremely deep cuts like “Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud,” "Warszawa,” “Word on a Wing,” and many more.
In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and a personal collection of his own art and poetry. The director then spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color palette. Along with much praise at the Cannes Film Festival, which dubbed Moonage Daydream one of the most critically acclaimed and celebrated documentaries of the year, the experimental documentary got recognition on several platforms. It won the WGA Award for Best Documentary Screenplay, CAS Award for Best Sound Mix- Documentary, and the MPSE Award for Best Music Editing. It received five Critics Choice Award nominations, winning the award for Best Editing, and was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Documentary, as well as being inducted as part of the Criterion Collection.
Moonage Daydream, debuts on Saturday, April 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. You can check out the film's trailer below: