Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021)

For the most part, this is a fairly standard documentary about the life and career of Rick James told through archival footage and contemporary interviews with various talking heads. What sets it apart is its comprehensiveness and the sheer amount of information that I had no idea about (from his draft dodging to Canada to performing with Neil Young and so on), told in ways much more interesting than just reading his wikipedia page. The interviews include his daughter, his long-time bandmates, and older ones from James himself. It doesn’t shy away from the low points of his life, but also chronicles the highs beyond Super Freak. It’s beyond a doubt that he was an incredible artist who put a lot of thought into his art. Unfortunately not as much thought put into his drug use or relationships with women.