Paul McCartney: Man on the Run

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Paul McCartney: Man on the Run

R

Feb 2026

2h 7m

Documentary

Music

Biography

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Popcornmeter

100%

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65 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

What happens when you wake up the morning after leaving the most important rock band of all time? In April 1970, Paul released his first solo album, McCartney, alongside a shocking press release that announced the beloved band had split. When asked what he'd do next, he said his only plan... was to grow up. Man on the Run captures Paul's transformative decade in the wake of The Beatles' break-up. Through stunning archival footage, Linda McCartney's exceptional photographs, and interviews with Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde, Sean Ono Lennon, Mary and Stella McCartney, all the living Wings members, and of course Paul himself, the film examines this time through a uniquely vulnerable lens.

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Critics Consensus

Chronicling Paul McCartney's time spent in the creative wilderness through when he regrew his wings, Man on the Run is a lovely testament to the musical genius and his romantic partnership with Linda McCartney.

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David Bianculli

NPR

Mar 3

Man on the Run is more about the man than it is about his creative process. But his music runs all through the documentary, and it all adds up to an impressive, inspirational second act.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

Mar 2

2.5/4

This one tells an involving story (for fans, anyway) but serves mainly as advertising and image maintenance for its star, and an investment for him and various parties that represent the star’s music, past and future.

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Peter Travers

The Travers Take

Feb 27

3.5/4

In Morgan Neville’s intimate and insightful musical doc, Paul McCartney finds his musical wings without the Beatles but with wife Linda riding shotgun and teaching him about hard to reach places in the heart.

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Marcelo Paredes

Cinencuentro

Jun 16

...even though the documentary isn't particularly daring in its formal choices and, somewhat ironically, ends up being less adventurous than McCartney himself, it remains a highly enjoyable experience. [Full review in Spanish]

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Josh Davis

Pop Culture Leftovers

May 21

It’s a love letter to Paul and a love letter to the fans. Is it the definitive documentary on a former Beatle? Maybe not. Is it a warm, funny, fascinating look at one of the most important artists of the last hundred years? Absolutely.

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Sammie Purcell

Rough Draft Atlanta

Mar 30

It won’t necessarily tell any diehard Beatles or McCartney fan anything they didn’t already know, but it does provide some interesting insights into Paul’s psyche during those years ....

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke Jun 4

This is a well-constructed documentary. The quick editing and music overlays worked well, and it moved along quickly. However, I’ve never liked McCartney’s post-Beatles music very much, so the film was less enjoyable for me than it probably would be for a fan.

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Abigail T

@RT72198624 May 6

Creative photography and some crazy editing – I loved this documentary, this masterpiece, and I adore The Wings; I really love the world I live in, hahaha

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Forrest M

@RT32281296 Apr 26

"Man On The Run" is a documentary about Billy Shears or William Shepard ...oops... Paul McCartney during his post-Beatles career specifically the formation of Wings and its music. Hence, the name "Man On The Run" was taken from the Wings signature song "Band On The Run". It tries to show the theme of how Billy Shears was able to use music as therapy after the Beatles break-up, it only reinforces the fact that the real Paul McCartney has indeed passed away in 1966. It tries to connect his musical career from the Beatles to Wings but it fails miserably as we see two different people during both periods as well as the difference in identity, personality and attitude between the real Paul McCartney who is a charismatic guitarist and Billy Shears who is actually a pianist.

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Joe W

@JoeWasik Apr 16

Well made documentary. Not too much information. Let's you listen to enough of McCartney's music. I enjoyed the watch.

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Frans B

@FransB Apr 2

Brilliant! Learned a lot with this. Linda must have been the keystone in the whole "musical building", that empire Paul constructed. Very well told story, also makes one realize that very important things when you are young, are not as important when you grow older and wiser. Great portrait of the McCartney journey through time

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T M

@RT55749265 Mar 29

As Macca gets older there's an honesty he's displaying that means he's putting his turbulent past to rights. Yes, if you're a Mac-head youve probably heard all this before. But the audio narrators are good, the film footage is fascinating and hey! I happen to like the music...so sue me!

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Morgan Neville

Director

Paul McCartney

Self

Morgan Neville

Producer

Chloe Simmons

Producer

Meghan Walsh

Producer

Scott Rodger

Producer

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Paul McCartney: Man on the Run: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

What happens when you wake up the morning after leaving the most important rock band of all time? In April 1970, Paul released his first solo album, McCartney, alongside a shocking press release that announced the beloved band had split. When asked what he'd do next, he said his only plan... was to grow up. Man on the Run captures Paul's transformative decade in the wake of The Beatles' break-up. Through stunning archival footage, Linda McCartney's exceptional photographs, and interviews with Mick Jagger, Chrissie Hynde, Sean Ono Lennon, Mary and Stella McCartney, all the living Wings members, and of course Paul himself, the film examines this time through a uniquely vulnerable lens.

Director: Morgan Neville
Producer: Morgan Neville, Chloe Simmons, Meghan Walsh, Scott Rodger, Ben Chappell, Michele Anthony, David Blackman
Distributor: Trafalgar Releasing
Production Co: Tremolo Productions
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 19, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 27, 2026
Runtime: 2h 7m