The Beach Boys

In a California garage three brothers, a cousin and a schoolfriend form a band. They sing about surfing, cars and girls; their father manages them and beats them. Then Brian Wilson stops touring and stays in the studio, and the group splits into two things: an act playing the old hits on stage and one person making different music in a recording room. The subject is not success but two different ambitions inside one band wearing each other down. The documentary gives considerable room to the Pet Sounds period and says plainly that the album was treated as a commercial failure at the time. The form is archive-led and orderly. Studio recordings, old television appearances and interviews with the surviving members proceed in turn. The telling is chronological and easy to follow. It was made with the band's approval and it shows: the dark passages, particularly Brian Wilson's health and the legal disputes inside the group, are passed over quickly. It was released on Disney's platform in 2024, with Frank Marshall among the directors. Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson sit for the camera. Who it is for: viewers who like sixties pop and band histories. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a critical eye; the film stays close to the official account.