Directed by Todd Haynes (I’m Not There, Carol), The Velvet Underground takes an avant-garde approach to tell the story of the 1960s rock band. Like their music, nothing about this documentary is linear and expected. Screens are split to show two different things at once, seemingly unrelated clips are stitched to create a patchwork of feelings, and strobes of light flash multiple times onscreen. It’s like an art installation come to life.
The film is dynamic and dazzling, infused with the same underground atmosphere as their early performances. If you’re looking to know more about the band, this film might not be for you. But if you’re looking to experience the band, to feel and see and hear what it was like to catch them at their peak, then this is for you.
"As with both Velvet Goldmine and I'm Not There, Haynes finds an enthralling middle ground between hero worship and ambivalence."
— Michael Leader
""The Velvet Underground" makes time for all of the expository table-setting we've been conditioned to expect, but there's so much stimuli to process that even basic details are enlivened by how they might smear into something else."
— David Ehrlich
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
