83
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyEntertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyIt proves that Morgen isn’t interested in hagiography. He wants to show us the real Kurt Cobain, warts and all.
- 100New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartIt’s his home movies with Love and baby — some playful, others drugged and drooling — that fans will find the most emotional viewing. As the credits roll, it’s hard not to just root for the sensitive, progressive, fiercely creative Cobain and wish that he’d lived long enough to find a little peace of mind.
- 91The PlaylistKatie WalshThe PlaylistKatie WalshIt’s a journey deep into the psyche of the tormented genius, that is as all-encompassing and expressive of Cobain's spirit as a film could possibly be. It's a true achievement, both in documentary filmmaking, and in preserving the memory and legacy of Cobain.
- 80Total FilmKevin HarleyTotal FilmKevin HarleyLike a Cobain mixtape brought to feral life, Montage is scruffy, sharp and insightful on an oft-explored subject. The pay-off is terribly moving – it’ll drain you.
- 80CineVueCineVueWhat Brett Morgen crafts for his audience - in what may very well come to be known as the definitive documentary on the musician - with Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015) is simply stunning. Morgen runs his coverage of Cobain from the cradle to the grave.
- Morgen manages to stay clear of hagiography, instead compiling an exhilarating piece of film-making – one that’s fully in keeping with Cobain’s virtuosity.
- 75Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardDirector Brett Morgen distinguishes the biographical documentary by viewing himself as more of a curator than a film director.
- 70Village VoiceNick SchagerVillage VoiceNick SchagerWhile its unconventional approach eventually becomes a tad wearisome, Morgen’s film proves a uniquely revealing exploration of the development, and eventual disintegration, of the heart and mind (and spirit) of a musician incapable of finding solace in, or transcendence through, his angst.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijImpressive in parts, but wildly uneven as a whole.
- 60EmpireEmpireSlightly overlong and glosses over certain aspects but a profound examination of a tortured artist.