Parents' Guide to

Beastie Boys Story

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Some cursing, drinking in inspiring music docu.

Movie NR 2020 119 minutes
Beastie Boys Story Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

age 10+
I think of they can handle cursewords and they can watch it

This title has:

Too much swearing

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

As much as anything else, this is a movie about best friendship, growing up in public, and the love of music. It's presented as a kind of Ted Talk in front of a live audience, only instead of some turtlenecked technocrat waxing philosophical about world problems while over-gesticulating their hands, it's Mike D. and Ad-Rock reflecting from their middle-aged vantage points on the highs and lows of their careers. Like Beastie Boys themselves, this documentary is often hilarious, and this overview is remarkably comprehensive, considering the vast evolution that happened collectively and individually over the course of their existence.

Unsurprisingly, Diamond and Horovitz devote considerable time to the role the late Adam Yauch (MCA) played in the band, and through their stories, Yauch comes across as a creative force, enigma, and someone with a profound love of life and adventure, whether it be venturing into a near-empty punk club to see Bad Brains as a teenager, or in meeting the Dalai Lama and becoming a champion for Tibetan independence later in life. For aspiring musicians, Beastie Boys Story is also an inspiring glimpse into the creative process of Beastie Boys, and how they found ways to incorporate their myriad musical influences into their own sound.

Movie Details

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