American Utopia (film)

American Utopia is a 2020 American concert film directed and produced by Spike Lee, from a screenplay by David Byrne. The film is a live recording of a Broadway performance of a modified version of the album "American Utopia", including several songs and contributions from throughout Byrne's career. Byrne performs alongside 11 musicians, all performing with wireless or portable equipment. Frequent collaborator Annie-B Parson choreographed the production.
It had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2020.
Production.
In June 2020, it was announced Spike Lee had directed a filmed version of the Broadway performance "American Utopia" by David Byrne, with HBO distributing.
Release.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2020. It screened at the New York Film Festival on October 3, 2020, and the BFI London Film Festival on October 14, 2020. It was broadcast in the United States and Canada on HBO and made available for streaming through HBO Max (U.S.) and Crave (Canada) on October 17, 2020. Universal Pictures will distribute the film in all other countries.
Reception.
"American Utopia" received highly positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 98% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 35 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.47/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Helmed in elegant and exhilarating style by Spike Lee, David Byrne's American Utopia is a concert film that doubles as a joyously cathartic celebration." On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 92 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Erik Adams of "The A. V. Club" devotes a lengthy review to "American Utopia" as "the right movie for 2020", noting how Byrne balances hope in a tumultuous world, writing, "The key to "American Utopia"s resonance isn’t so much one of joy versus despair as it is connection versus isolation".