A Man Named Scott

Scott Mescudi released his first album in 2009 as Kid Cudi. Man on the Moon: The End of Day contained songs about depression, anxiety and loneliness; talking about them this directly was not usual in rap. The album found an answer among young listeners. Over the following decade Cudi kept changing his style, made a rock album, had commercial failures, and in 2016 announced openly that he had checked into a clinic for addiction and depression. Robert Alexander's documentary follows that decade. At the centre of the narrative is this: an artist making material of his own difficulty both builds his work and consumes him. Jaden Smith, Shia LaBeouf, Timothée Chalamet and Pharrell Williams are among those who speak. Cudi himself appears in studio and archive footage. Who it's for: Viewers who like hip hop documentary, narratives about mental health, and musician portraits. Who it's not for: The narrative is admiring and keeps no critical distance. Context is also missing for anyone who does not know Cudi's music.