Machine Gun Kelly's Life in Pink

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Machine Gun Kelly's Life in Pink
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the documentary Machine Gun Kelly's Life in Pink has, as one might expect, drugs, drinking, language, and rock 'n' roll. There's surprisingly little sex besides some cuddling and kissing between the rocker and his actress fiancée. But Kelly and his bandmates smoke marijuana and cigarettes and drink alcohol in many scenes in the film. They discuss and show taking ecstasy, mushrooms, and other drugs. Kelly talks about "self-sabotaging'" with drugs and how they've contributed to suicidal feelings and paranoia. He vows to quit. He's seen as hardworking and persistent in his musical goals, and he's risen from a very difficult background that he's still trying to heal from. Most of his bandmates and his daughter are Black. The film could promote Kelly's albums and his lifestyle. Language includes variations on "f--k" and "s--t," as well as "hell," "damn," "bitch," "d--k," "sucks," "suck my d--k," "666," and "dumb," plus the middle finger.
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What's the Story?
MACHINE GUN KELLY'S LIFE IN PINK follows the musician from his 2019 rap album Hotel Diablo to his two number-one punk rock albums that followed, Tickets to My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout. In between, COVID strikes, he attempts suicide, he spends time with his daughter, he meets and falls in love with actress Megan Fox, and he uses music to work through his emotional trauma and substance abuse problems. He and other interviewees talk about all of this, and that's presented with footage from his tours and rehearsals, studio recording sessions, and social media posts.
Is It Any Good?
The manic energy of this documentary mimics that of its controversial subject, but while the film provides some insight into the musician, it still feels overly long and ultimately self-serving. It's the nature of the genre, and Machine Gun Kelly's Life in Pink spends most of its 100 minutes with Colson Baker himself, adding in interviews with people in his circle and most notably his daughter. Fiancée Megan Fox is in a lot of the footage, and we hear her voice at the end, but she isn't interviewed on camera, nor are any other family members. Fans say they find solace in his songs, which he describes as using to work through his own emotional wounds. The story runs from 2019 to 2022, a period marked by the pandemic and a flurry of professional activity from Kells, as his friends call him.
He engenders a lot of criticism for his transition from rap to punk rock, and he takes it hard. Despite his purposefully menacing exterior, he comes across as fragile, and this may well be director Sam Cahill's intention here. When the rocker breaks glasses in hotels or knocks out a friend's front windshield, it's shown as good, celebratory fun. "I'm still young, wasting my youth; I'll grow up next summer," he sings. A tour through his Cleveland neighborhood and some memories of his childhood paint a very tough background. He's up front about his addictions, but even after he says he's had a wake-up call that he needs to leave drugs following a suicide attempt, he still seems to be smoking and drinking all the time in the film. This doesn't diminish his ambition, and the impression the documentary gives is of a musically talented, hardworking man for whom music provides a kind of therapy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of drugs and alcohol in Machine Gun Kelly's Life in Pink. Have they helped or hurt Kelly, in his own telling?
People often talk about a rock 'n' roll lifestyle. How would you describe that, based on what you see here? Is it appealing? Why, or why not?
How does this documentary edit in clips and posts from social media to portray reactions to Kelly's work? Is this an effective way to show this? Why, or why not?
What other kinds of sources could have been interviewed for this documentary? How might these have added to or changed the portrayal of the subject?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: June 27, 2022
- Cast: Machine Gun Kelly
- Director: Sam Cahill
- Studio: Hulu
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 19, 2022
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