blur: To the End

Toby L's 2024 documentary follows the band blur recording a new album after eight years and preparing for two concerts at Wembley Stadium. The camera is in the studio, the rehearsal room and the tour van; the stage footage is a small part of the account. The documentary is at its best in avoiding a celebratory tone: the four men are now in their fifties, and the tension between them, especially the old rift between Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, is never covered over. Coxon's distance and the band's difficulty in simply being together sit at the centre. The Wembley concert is the peak, but the film is really about growing old. For anyone who is not a fan the pace may feel slow. Who it's for: listeners of blur and viewers who like music documentaries. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a concert film, or unfamiliar with the band.