Searching for Sugar Man

2011, Documentary, 1h 26m

133 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

What to know

critics consensus

A fascinating portrait of a forgotten musical pioneer, Searching for Sugar Man is by turns informative and mysterious. Read critic reviews

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Searching for Sugar Man Photos

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Movie Info

Though he faded into obscurity in the U.S., an early '70s musician known as Rodriguez became a huge hit in South Africa and was widely rumored to have died. Two obsessed fans set out to learn the man's true fate.
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (Some Drug References|Brief Strong Language)
  • Genre:
    Documentary
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Malik Bendjelloul
  • Producer:
    George Chignell, Simon Chinn, Nicole Stott
  • Writer:
    Malik Bendjelloul
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $3.7M
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    Sony Pictures Classics

Cast & Crew

Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman
Dennis Coffey
Mike Theodore
Dan DiMaggio
Jerome Ferretti
Steve Rowland
Willem Möller
Craig Bartholomew Strydom
Malik Bendjelloul
Director
Malik Bendjelloul
Writer
John Battsek
Executive Producer
George Chignell
Producer
Simon Chinn
Producer
Nicole Stott
Producer
Rodriguez
Original Music
Camilla Skagerström
Cinematography
Malik Bendjelloul
Film Editing
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Searching for Sugar Man

All Critics (133) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (126) | Rotten (7)
Full Review… Deborah Ross The Spectator Full Review… Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune Full Review… Leonard Maltin leonardmaltin.com Full Review… John Anderson Newsday Full Review… Ken Marks New Yorker Full Review… Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch Full Review… Rebecca Schiller NME Full Review… David Bax Battleship Pretension Full Review… Charlotte Harrison Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies Full Review… Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Full Review… Jim Ross TAKE ONE Magazine Full Review… Katie Smith-Wong Flick Feast
View All Critic Reviews (133)

Audience Reviews for Searching for Sugar Man

  • Jun 04, 2017
    Quiet but heartwarming documentary about an American folk musician of the 1970s who was later believed to be dead in South Africa, the only country he had a huge success in without ever hearing about it. Sounds curious? It is. But a really sweet story only life could come up with.
    Jens S Super Reviewer
  • Aug 20, 2013
    A superb mystery-documentary telling the true story of a largely unknown musician and the investigation into what/why things happened, eventually separating the myths from the (just as fascinating) truths. A joy.
    Daniel P Super Reviewer
  • Apr 07, 2013
    A riveting, incredible documentary about the talented musician Rodriguez and how, after two hit albums in the 1970's, disappeared seemingly into thin air. After two of his biggest fans decide to attempt to track him down even though rumors persist that he's dead, they stumble upon more parts to their hero's amazing true story. This is a story that is almost too special to believe it is true, but the film strikes a genuine tone that is as interested as the viewer to get to the bottom of this mysterious man. Without revealing too much, this is one of the best documentaries made in quite some time, close to perfect. A must-see for any music fan or avid follower of documentaries.
    Dan S Super Reviewer
  • Mar 21, 2013
    Maybe a must watch for the hardcore fans of Sixto Rodriguez, but to me (never heard the guy's name before; gave it a shot simply because the documentary synopsis had a mystic touch to it), it's as watchable as skipable. The first half is quite interesting, but then it (understandably) gets repetitive. Might have liked it better had it being cut to the chase ;-)
    familiar s Super Reviewer
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