WHAM!

2023 1h 32m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 108

DocumentaryMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Through archival interviews and footage, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley relive the arc of their Wham! career, from 70s best buds to 80s pop icons.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Andrew Ridgeley
Self
George Michael
Self (archive footage)
Elton John
Self (archive footage)
David Bowie
Self (archive footage)
Mick Jagger
Self (archive footage)
Sting
Self (archive footage)
Freddie Mercury
Self (archive footage)
Paul McCartney
Self (archive footage)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Chris Smith
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Tim Atack. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gregor Lyon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael and Elton John carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt27726927 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Chris Smith directs. Tim Atack scores. Gregor Lyon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 3 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Original score by Tim Atack. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Gregor Lyon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael and Elton John carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt27726927 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 10 themes, including "friendship", "pop culture", "archive footage", "nostalgic".

The technical file

Original score: Tim Atack
Editing: Gregor Lyon
Sound: Patrick Fripp
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: WHAM! (2023)

Also by

Chris Smith

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-06-21
★ 7/10
Using actuality from their relatively short career, this is quite an interesting documentary that illustrates the rise and fall of this duo of childhood friends that started off in a small bedroom in North London and ended up punching well beyond it's weight in the UK, USA and in China too. It uses running narratives from George Michael (aka "Yog") and Andrew Ridgeley and takes us on a colourful chronology of their rise to fame and has accessed a strong selection of archive to support that. It's not one of those films that's constantly interrupted by chats from opinionated music journalists, indeed even the likes of Elton John quote only briefly, and always within the contemporaneous context of the timeline. The two men deliver a commentary that is complimentary and generous to the other - I'd like to know when AR laid his track down, George having dies in 2016, just to see whether the former is a polite response to the latter, or genuinely what was felt at the time. There are plenty of occasions when you do look at the imagery and wonder just what did Ridgely actually do, but the tone of the film and the demeanour of the two together would suggest that, like in many a successful marriage - inspiration and support for one can come in a lower keyed but just as crucial contribution from the more "silent" partner. Also - he chose the skimpy shorts that helped make a star out of him and his nervous, camera-shy, friend! It also features a fair reflection of their rather more substantial back catalogue. I lived through the whole Wham-mania thing as a teenager but had forgotten much of what made them the phenomena that they became. It touches on wealth (or not), pressures, sexuality, angst - but it doesn't jump the gun. It's about the band not the solo artist it spawned, so all of that is sort of left poised. Luckily for director Chris Smith he's got Alex Black as ferret-in-chief of the archive and there's enough new here to sustain an interest in two boys who lived the dream, set some trends, and shook the world - briefly! You don't need to be a Wham fan to enjoy this. It's quite an interesting look at societal issues and the music business in the early 1980s, too.

Production companies