The Beatles: Get Back

The Beatles: Get Back

show

TV-MA, 2021

WISE
78%

WISE Score

93

Avg. Tomatometer

Eight hours of Beatles magic—if your teen has the attention span for it, this documentary is genuinely extraordinary.

IMDb8.9
RT Critics93%
MC85
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this is objectively brilliant filmmaking. Peter Jackson took 60 hours of footage and created something that makes you feel like you're in the room with The Beatles in 1969. The creative insights are extraordinary, the restoration is mind-blowing, and if you're a music nerd, this is catnip.

BUT. Eight hours. EIGHT. And it's not eight hours of action-packed narrative—it's eight hours of watching people jam, chat, smoke, work through ideas, and occasionally have tense conversations. It's fly-on-the-wall documentary filmmaking at its finest, which means it's also slow.

For the right teen—the kid who plays guitar, who's obsessed with music history, who can actually sit still for more than 20 minutes—this is genuinely enriching and worth every minute. For everyone else? They'll tap out in episode one.

The WISE scores are high because the content itself is exceptional. The overall score reflects reality: most families won't finish this, and that's okay. It's a masterpiece for a specific audience, not a crowd-pleaser.

Age Fit

Best for teens 14+ and adults who love music, history, or The Beatles. Younger kids will be bored senseless by the runtime and pacing. This is not a kid's documentary—it's a masterpiece for people who can appreciate slow, observational storytelling.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
88

Documentary captures genuine creative collaboration and friendship among band members during album creation. Shows respectful working relationships, problem-solving, and artistic dedication. Some mild period-appropriate language and smoking visible, but overall tone is positive and constructive. Models perseverance through creative challenges.

Imaginative
92

Extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at one of history's most creative bands composing iconic songs in real-time. Viewers witness the entire creative process from scratch—improvisation, experimentation, collaboration, and refinement. Demonstrates how imagination and iteration produce timeless art. Peter Jackson's restoration work itself is imaginatively groundbreaking.

Safe
82

No violence, gore, or sexual content. Occasional mild profanity and pervasive cigarette smoking (historically accurate for 1969). Some tense interpersonal moments and discussions of band tensions, but nothing traumatic. Common Sense Media rates it 13+, which is reasonable. The length and pacing might bore younger viewers rather than harm them.

Enriching
94

Phenomenal educational value: music history, creative process, cultural context of late 1960s, band dynamics, and artistic problem-solving. Shows real collaboration, compromise, and dedication to craft. However, the 8-hour runtime across three episodes demands serious engagement—this is enriching for those who stick with it, but the format is legitimately challenging.

Parent Info

Why It Might Be Great

  • Unparalleled look at creative genius in action—watch 'Get Back' and 'Let It Be' literally being written from scratch
  • Models authentic collaboration, problem-solving through conflict, and dedication to artistic vision
  • Peter Jackson's restoration makes 1969 footage look like it was shot yesterday—visually stunning
  • Perfect for music-loving teens who want to understand how iconic art actually gets made
  • Critical acclaim across the board (93% RT, 8.9 IMDb)—this is legitimately great filmmaking

What to Watch For

  • EIGHT. HOURS. LONG. Across three episodes. This is not background viewing—it's a commitment
  • Constant cigarette smoking throughout (it's 1969, everyone smoked, but it's pervasive)
  • Slow, observational pacing—this is raw footage, not a snappy Netflix doc
  • Some band tension and interpersonal conflict, though handled maturely
  • Really best for teens 14+ who already care about music or The Beatles specifically

Conversation Starters

  • "What surprised you about how they wrote songs—did you think famous musicians just came up with perfect songs immediately?"
  • "When the band had disagreements, how did they work through them? What can we learn from that?"
  • "Why do you think people still care about The Beatles 50+ years later?"
  • "What did you notice about how they gave each other feedback—what worked and what didn't?"
  • "If you could watch a documentary like this about any current artist, who would you choose?"
Stills
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