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What We Do Is Secret

Play trailer Poster for What We Do Is Secret R 2007 1h 32m Biography Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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45% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A biopic on the legendary punk band the Germs.
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What We Do Is Secret

What We Do Is Secret

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Critics Consensus

Despite its dynamic subject and reckless anti-glamor, this biopic about the legendary punk rocker Darby Crash fails to translate the excitement its subject generated.

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Critics Reviews

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Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 10/17/2008
2.5/4
Despite its thorough attention to historical detail and the obvious love of all involved for their shattered subject, What We Do Is Secret is, in the end, awfully sterile for a movie about the Germs. Go to Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times 10/10/2008
2.5/4
While What We Do Is Secret may not be remembered for much more than West's performance, it's an impersonation worth saluting. Go to Full Review Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly 09/12/2008
C+
The battering live shows prove West's dedication to the role, but as always there's too little insight into both music and musicians and too much period design Go to Full Review Steve Erickson Gay City News 03/09/2018
"What We Do Is Secret" makes a bid for entering Crash into rock'n'roll mythology. Go to Full Review Kelly Vance East Bay Express 08/15/2011
Long live the baby monsters. Go to Full Review Sonny Bunch Washington Times 08/30/2009
2/4
A docudrama with the production qualities of a made-for-MTV movie about a band that recorded one album and never finished a gig and whose lead singer was a fascist poseur. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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05/12/2021 This movie is criminally underrated. This is hands down one of the best films of all time. Shane West went above and beyond as The Germs frontman Darby Crash. He later on went on tour with the actual band. They were also cameos in the film's ending. It's powerful, entertaining and dark. See more 12/17/2019 I would have gave it all 5 stars but I didn't, this is a really good movie. Good actors, acting and based on the punk rock band of the 70's The Germs. Based on the life of Darby Crash and his band The Germs rock bio movie so worth the watch. A great go to movie for any fan of Darby Crash, The Germs or punk rock music. The actor that plays him Shane West did so good playing Darby Crash. See more 12/15/2018 Darby Crash lives once more in Shane West's uncanny performance. See more 07/02/2015 Movie is an incoherent mess. What a shame. See more 05/01/2014 good musical bio-pic See more 09/13/2013 It tries but fails. Very hard to take it seriously. Looks too much like people playing dress up, no matter how hard the cast try. See more Read all reviews
What We Do Is Secret

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Cast & Crew

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Rodger Grossman

Director

Shane West

Darby Crash

Bijou Phillips

Lorna Doom

Rick Gonzalez

Pat Smear

Noah Segan

Don Bolles

Ashton Holmes

Rob Henley

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What We Do Is Secret

What We Do Is Secret (2007) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A biopic on the legendary punk band the Germs.
Director
Rodger Grossman
Producer
Rodger Grossman, Kevin Mann
Screenwriter
Michelle Baer Ghaffari, Rodger Grossman
Production Co
Coalition Films, Foundation Films
Rating
R (Brief Sexuality|Language|Drug Use)
Genre
Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Aug 8, 2008
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 24, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$58.8K
Runtime
1h 32m