The Beach Boys

PG-13

Released May 21

1h 53m

Documentary

Music

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The Beach Boys: Trailer

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88%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

81%

Audience Score

Fewer than 50 Ratings

"The Beach Boys," which streams on Disney+ beginning May 24, 2024, is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come. The documentary traces the band from humble family beginnings and features never-before-seen footage and all-new interviews with The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, plus other luminaries in the music business, including Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monae, Ryan Tedder, and Don Was. Viewers will also hear from the group's Carl and Dennis Wilson in their own words, plus view a new interview with Blondie Chaplin and hear audio from Ricky Fataar.

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Critics Consensus

An overview of The Beach Boys' history that wraps all the essentials up in a warm blanket, The Beach Boys is a straightforward jam of greatest hits that congeals into a compelling harmony.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

In this watchable but routine overview of the classic California band made up mostly of relatives, the more uncomfortable-making elements about the group get addressed rather than explored.

Rated: 2/4

May 29, 2024

Full Review

Camilla Long

Times (UK)

It’s a strange lasagne of wonderful, mad musical moments and inexplicable talking heads (Janelle Monáe - why?) all deliciously poisoned by the seeping resentfulness of Wilson’s cousin Mike Love, who says it is unfair Wilson got all of the “genius label”.

May 29, 2024

Full Review

G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

“The Beach Boys” is a breezy CliffsNotes version of the band’s ups and downs and cultural relevance and should interest established fans — even if they know it all already — and younger music enthusiasts who are looking for a window in.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 29, 2024

Full Review

Charles Solomon

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

There are some things they really don't deal with... But you'll have Beach Boys songs playing in your skull for the rest of the week, and there was a lot I didn't know, not being a rock 'n' roll fan. A good film, no question.

Jun 14, 2024

Full Review

Wade Major

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

The family dynamic is what I found the most interesting... All of that stuff I found to be new and utterly fascinating.

Jun 14, 2024

Full Review

Graeme Tuckett

Stuff.co.nz

Marshall does pretty well at capturing the paradox of a band whose popular image stands almost in opposition to their greatest musical achievements.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 13, 2024

Full Review

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Ma'ark T

The Beach Boys was a great dose of nostalgia and for someone like me who grew up listening to them in the backseat of my dad's car, I didn't actually know a lot of their backstory. I really would've like it to go just a bit deeper into some of the controversies rather than just surface level.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/16/24

Full Review

Armen P

Thoughtful and compelling portrait of family, Southern California, and how music both shifted with and influenced the postwar decades. As we went from booming utopia to fervent civil rights, so too did The Beach Boys — the doc reflects their highs and lows in their record releases and lineups. From selling the California dream, going toe to toe with the monolithic Beatles, experimenting with LSD, and learning the power of their music came from their familial bond — it’s all there and expertly and honestly told in this documentary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This was an amazing movie to watch it almost give all the information need to know about the beach boys. I like this documentary film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/14/24

Full Review

Jessica S

This stunning tribute is absolute must-watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/13/24

Full Review

Andrea B

Loved it!!! Endless Summer was a staple of my childhood and I have been a fan ever since. This amazing doc shows the complicated relationships between the band members and what it took to make such groundbreaking songs. I teared up a few times! Brian Wilson is a genius and Pet Sounds has stood the test of time — that was my favorite scene of the whole thing. Definitely worth watching more than once.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/12/24

Full Review

Paul U

Good family friendly overview of the Beach Boys career. Sure to introduce new fans to this classic band.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/24

Full Review

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Frank Marshall

Director

Thom Zimny

Director

Brian Wilson

Self

Mike Love

Self

Al Jardine

Self

David Marks

Self

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The Beach Boys: Trailer

2:29

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Synopsis

"The Beach Boys," which streams on Disney+ beginning May 24, 2024, is a celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come. The documentary traces the band from humble family beginnings and features never-before-seen footage and all-new interviews with The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, plus other luminaries in the music business, including Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monae, Ryan Tedder, and Don Was. Viewers will also hear from the group's Carl and Dennis Wilson in their own words, plus view a new interview with Blondie Chaplin and hear audio from Ricky Fataar.

Director: Frank Marshall, Thom Zimny
Producer: Frank Marshall, Irving Azoff, Nicholas Ferrall, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Aly Parker
Screenwriter: Mark Monroe
Distributor: Disney+
Production Co: White Horse Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language|Smoking|Drug Material)
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 21, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 24, 2024
Runtime: 1h 53m

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