Billy Idol Should Be Dead

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Billy Idol Should Be Dead

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1h 58m

Documentary

Music

Biography

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6 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Rock icon Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTC era, and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain on of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career.

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Emma Vine

Loud and Clear Reviews

11h

3.5/5

Billy Idol Should Be Dead offers a detailed look at the singer’s rise to fame and why he remains an icon in the punk rock scene.

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Sherin Nicole

AWFJ.org

Nov 3

From gorgeously crisp interviews—in rich black and glowing white—to lush but cheeky animated sequences that play out like fever dreams, weaving...its portrait of a man who’s danced with death too many times, yet emerged not just alive but truly living.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Oct 28

As a documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead is essentially a cinematic update of Billy Idol's 2014 memoir, with some added perspectives and a few new revelations. It's meaningful in some areas and shallow in other areas.

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Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

Oct 4

A fascinatingly full portrait of an ‘80s musical giant.

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Kat Hughes

THN

Jul 7

5/5

Billy Idol Should Be Dead highlights exactly why the star’s story is worthy of the biopic treatment. Chronicling his life from teen to grandad, this comprehensive documentary is vital for Idol fans new and old.

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Kent Turner

Film-Forward.com

Jul 1

3/4

Now in his late 60s, Idol is refreshingly candid—echoing his younger swagger when he once declared, “I just want to get screwed to death.”

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A. Peck

1d

Well done BFI! Excellent documentary on the life of an icon! Truly showing so much vulnerability and what it was like to be a true rockstar of that era! So glad I got to see it on the big screen! Keep rocking Billy!!

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Linda

1d

I've followed Billy's career since 1980. I absolutely love him and this documentary was well done. Although I already knew everything in the film it was nice seeing it all put together in film. I'd see it again.

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Kelli

1d

Very well done. Interesting from beginning to end. The last 2 songs were a profound statement on where hes at in life today. I definitely recommend this rockumentary. In fact I texted a couple of my music minded friends last night when I left the theater and recommended they see it.

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Jessica

6d

Refreshingly honest look at Billy’s life. Lots of backstory on the origins of Generation X and punk rock

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Joe H

Nov 11

A highly enjoyable, very well made, self-serving puff-piece that shamlessly equates Idol with Bowie, Elvis and even John F. Kennedy.

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Jonas Akerlund

Director

Billy Idol

Self

Jonas Akerlund

Producer

Mark Monroe

Producer

Laurence Freedman

Producer

Violaine Etienne

Producer

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Synopsis

Rock icon Billy Idol bares it all in this electrifying documentary. Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTC era, and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain on of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career.

Director: Jonas Akerlund
Producer: Jonas Akerlund, Mark Monroe, Laurence Freedman, Violaine Etienne, Orian Williams, Ryan Kroft, Jessica James Batista, China Chow
Distributor: Fremantle
Production Co: Serial Pictures
Genre: Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 58m