Beastie Boys Story poster
Review

Beastie Boys Story 2020

Directed by Spike Jonze · 120 mins · 1,690 views

4.1 Letterboxd 3.93(26,488)
Ratings F C B 📀 K S N B J P

Synopsis

Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.

Trailers

Reviews (164)

  1. F
    Framesofnick 8 月 24, 2026

    White boys snapped 🥺😔

    377 1
  2. C
    Cormac 👑 8 月 24, 2026

    I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever. Humbling and humanising in equal measure, with a potent dose of the heartbreak to have the most self-confessed ‘punk rock’ of fans turn a little misty-eyed in between the tales of life-changing excess and becoming the very party heads you’d once built yourself up on lampooning. These three goofy kids simply looking for someone else to make them look a little less goofy stumble into an era of musical change and help shift the landscape of the game forever. With hindsight offering life’s greatest perspective, the ability to look back and lambast personal setbacks in character is legitimately sobering in its inspiration. I laughed, I cried, I rapped along, I rocked the fuck out. I rewinded and re-listened several times. I loved it. Kick it!

    129 10
  3. B
    Brian Tallerico 8 月 24, 2026

    I miss MCA.

    483 1
  4. 📀
    📀 Cammmalot 📀 8 月 24, 2026

    Now here’s a little story I’ve got to tell About three bad brothers you know so well A wonderful followup to one of the best books I’ve read in recent years, “Beastie Boys Book”. I love their story and I love how honest they are in telling it. Adam Yauch was such a special and talented person and it makes me sad that he’s not here to be a part of it. I also know that I’m a dinosaur here, but I’m bummed that the streaming wars society we live in means that it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to purchase a high quality blu-ray of this wonderful event. One of which I could personally own, proudly display, and treasure…

    137 9
  5. K
    Kaleb 8 月 24, 2026

    Hi we’re the Beastie Boys and this is our TED Talk.

    388
  6. S
    sid 8 月 24, 2026

    i believe in kate schellenbach supremacy

    124
  7. N
    Nakul 8 月 24, 2026

    “‘What would Yauch do?’ is always on our minds..” Loved ‘Beastie Boys Story’ documentary by Spike Jonze. Based on the band’s 2019 two-man live show, it’s joyous, personal and unexpectedly fun nostalgia trip and a beautiful tribute to MCA. Ad-Rock and Mike are incredibly fun storytellers. That last chapter got me all emotional. Also don’t miss out on the post credit footage.

    251 2
  8. B
    Brendan Michaels 8 月 24, 2026

    Nathaniel Hörnblowér is my favorite filmmaker.

    218
  9. J
    Jack 8 月 24, 2026

    Leave it to Spike Jonze to make one of the most creative and entertaining music documentaries I’ve seen in a long while. And even as someone that wouldn’t call themselves a Beastie Boys fan, I still had a great time with this. All hail Spike Jonze!

    124
  10. P
    Paul Elliott 8 月 24, 2026

    Typically, the signs of an outstanding documentary are when it transcends its core audience, and while the Beastie Boys Story doesn’t quite do that, it does give a broader opportunity to see a live event that was unable to be seen otherwise by the vast majority of people. It’s an account of the band’s journey from it’s surviving members, Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz, and there’s a comfortable aura from both the stage and the audience who acknowledge admiringly to the rare joke thrown in with the numerous anecdotes bounced around the theatre. There appears a decent degree of solemnity launched from the band members, and it comes across like they’ve both been yearning to openly declare a vast quantity…

    175 1
  11. M
    Muriel 8 月 24, 2026

    hadn’t been personally affected by art like this in a loong time, i kinda owe them my life. if you can feel what i’m feeling then it’s a musical masterpiece

    137 4
  12. Y
    yazz! *・゚✧ 8 月 24, 2026

    this documentary has so much heart… mike d and ad-rock are so charismatic and it’s so nice to get a documentary led by the band themselves. their love for each other and mca obviously runs so deep and brought me to tears a few times. i got into beastie boys a year or so ago and, besides the basics, i never knew too much about them, so this was a really lovely way to learn more. hello nasty is one of my favourite albums of all time and after this it means even more.

    157 3
  13. S
    swec936 8 月 19, 2026

    i’ve rewatched ts like a thousand times

  14. G
    geohewitt 8 月 18, 2026

    RIP MCA 🐐

  15. S
    superanticorpos 8 月 16, 2026

    de chorar

  16. O
    oliviarose7 8 月 16, 2026

    It’s so sad to see how they talk about Adam Yauch. Very cool to see how they grew up and. them learning and growing from things they said and did. They all or such great people.

  17. L
    Leigh2n 8 月 15, 2026

    One of the best music docs I’ve seen. Such great storytelling

  18. A
    alana 8 月 15, 2026

    gosh i love these guys

    1
  19. S
    Santa 8 月 15, 2026

    I’m rolling down the hill, snowballing, getting bigger An explosion in the chamber, the hammer from the trigger I seen him get stabbed, I watched the blood spill out He had more cuts than my man Chuck Chillout 24 is my age, and .22 is my gauge I’m writing rhymes on a page, I’m goin’ off in a rage ‘Cause I’m out on a mission, a stolen car mission Had a small problem with the transmission Three on the tree…

  20. E
    elysiaw 8 月 14, 2026

    go white boy go

  21. A
    abrilrocky 8 月 14, 2026

    super cool that spike jonze directed this! felt transported to brooklyn in the late 80s/early 90s. also gave me insane fomo bc they made it look and sound so fun. they’re some chill quirked up white boys. Rest in peace Adam Yauch🤍

    1
  22. S
    schneebaybay 8 月 14, 2026

    Never been prouder to be an Adam. Didn’t fully vibe with the live show format but it was fun to hear them tell their own story

  23. C
    chuckson_geter 8 月 14, 2026

    Watched this as a big fan of Jonze’s films knowing little of the subject matter. It’s not an especially strong introduction to the band and I was disappointed that it’s more of a filmed stage show than a traditional documentary, but it’s still fairly entertaining for what it is. The band’s rise to fame is quite an interesting story, and I loved hearing about the music culture that inspired them and how they ultimately got to interact with that world.…

  24. D
    dorkin 8 月 13, 2026

    rick rubin is the anti christ

    1
  25. V
    Vera Muñoz 8 月 12, 2026

    i’d rather be hypocrite than the same person forever…

    1
  26. T
    TheBiggieBag 8 月 12, 2026

    Go white boys go white boys go 🗣️🔥

    2
  27. R
    Rodrigo 8 月 12, 2026

    ❤️

  28. 1
    1ofmanyDebs 8 月 11, 2026

    Good memories….

  29. P
    phil_smaldone 8 月 11, 2026

    Nathanial Hörnblowér Is a visionary

    1
  30. J
    JackieDaytona97 8 月 10, 2026

    I’d rather be a hypocrite than be the same forever is a quote that’s going to live with me forever. This documentary is proof that with a small group of friends and enough determination there isn’t anything you can’t do even when the odds are stacked against you

    2
  31. E
    Erick 8 月 10, 2026

    I’d rather be a hypocrite than be the same forever Jokers that made funny music that everyone took seriously, that then started making music seriously that seriously tanked. But in the 2010s when I was in high school, they were the shit to me. I love how they told the story of their lives

    1
  32. V
    vanessakeira 8 月 10, 2026

    I ❤️ beastie boys rip mca creative legend who lived life to the fullest

  33. G
    Garrick Dietze 8 月 9, 2026

    Beastie boys. Perfect example of being able to change and grow.

    1
  34. J
    Jaime 8 月 9, 2026

    My husband was the Beastie Boys fan, but I really enjoyed the nostalgia and seeing how much they grew, both as people and as a band. The music brought us right back, and this quote really stuck with me: “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.”

    1
  35. D
    DavidDefinitive 8 月 9, 2026

    Really cool look back at Beastie Boys history from two of the boys themselves. I learned a lot and even felt sad when I got emotional towards the end. Makes me want to listen to more of the Beastie Boys music. Sabotage is still my favorite song from theirs.

    1
  36. N
    natham234 8 月 8, 2026

    I watched this and I didn’t like the first half but I liked the second half. If the first half was good and the second half was even better then it would be really good. The first half is like a fairy tale where nothing goes wrong or it’s like a passionate and knowledgeable person telling a good story that drifts more towards nostalgia bating than great narrative. You are 1.5/2 apple tv! Better than Netflix which is -1000/1 for that movie I watched yesterday!

    3
  37. E
    emi 8 月 8, 2026

    my fav white boys oat

    1
  38. A
    alonsotheurel 8 月 7, 2026

    los peores esnobs son los que niegan a los Beastie Boys

  39. K
    Kevin Connell 8 月 7, 2026

    Our first watch of this was outside during covidtimes. It was a nice warm fire for us then and it was the same for us tonight. It’s amazing that they stayed together while growing into very different people. That rarely happens. I really really really wish Yauch was still around.

  40. L
    Liva 8 月 6, 2026

    This was a dad move…KICK IT

  41. G
    Gabs404 8 月 6, 2026

    Uma maneira bem criativa de contar uma história. Sei q normalmente documentários tem entrevistas com as pessoas envolvidas na história, mas colocar eles para contar 100% dos acontecimentos, mesmo q roteirizado, fica mto legal. Todo o documentário parece que vc está conversando com um parente mais velho que já fez muita coisa na vida e tem muita história pra contar. Já sabia que o Adam Yauch era um gênio, musicalmente falando, mas ele pelo visto era incrível em tudo que colocava a mão.

  42. J
    JB Diehl 8 月 5, 2026

    This story had me shaking me Rump

    1
  43. S
    Sam Haine 8 月 5, 2026

    Waxin and Milkin!

  44. C
    chadistheway 8 月 5, 2026

    Reminded me how much I used to live the Beastie Boys. I can’t help but wonder if there was a little revisionist history going on here.

  45. C
    Chuckler 8 月 5, 2026

    Don’t even know how to describe it just really good story. Obvious, but gave me a lot more insight on there music and what they tried to communicate on different albums, super cool Just super badass overall and kinda stupid

    2
  46. R
    reina 8 月 5, 2026

    whats up with that?

  47. M
    mindofaustin 8 月 3, 2026

    plane watch

  48. M
    morgantessier 8 月 2, 2026

    okay maybe I just didn’t expect a Ted Talk but this just wasn’t my flavour

  49. C
    chloe 8 月 2, 2026

    Ill Communication has helped me through some tough times man all my love

  50. S
    skrifman 8 月 2, 2026

    Very helpful to better understand this band that Tim loves that’s comprised of white Jewish boys that rap

    1
  51. M
    MisterTasteful 8 月 2, 2026

    “Ponce De Leon, constantly on The fountain of youth, not Robotron Peace is a word I’ve heard before So move and move and move up on the dance floor ‘Cause I’m gonna die, gonna die one day ‘Cause I’m goin’ and goin’ and goin’ this way Not like a roach or a piece of toast I’m goin’ out first class, ain’t goin’ out coach“ MCA forever

    1
  52. W
    WillKaiser 8 月 1, 2026

    This was so fun to watch. Mike D and Ad-Rock hosted this walkthrough of their entire career while paying massive tribute to MCA. This was better than I expected. I enjoyed them throughout my childhood and adolescence and they had such an impact on Pop culture, getting to hear them talk about their perspectives and how they came to evolve was nostalgic, endearing, and thoroughly entertaining. So much to mention. I loved the imperfections in their presentation, they seemed utterly…

    1
  53. J
    Jen L 8 月 1, 2026

    Love Beastie Boys and had also gone in expecting the standard music doc so this was a great time.

    1
  54. H
    Highfield Tripuka 7 月 31, 2026

    Tanzan

    1
  55. K
    kennadifm 7 月 31, 2026

    bill hader as the crazy shit voice took me OUT that was just the cherry on top

    2
  56. A
    Anomyous 7 月 31, 2026

    Vraiment plaisant a regarder. Original avec le mode stand up story.

  57. E
    ellielovesu 7 月 30, 2026

    Yauch was the coolest person ever

  58. B
    BellaPee 7 月 30, 2026

    Adam Yauch was the coolest Beastie. Still think Ad-Rock is my dream guy. Why was it a a stand up comedy special and not a doc? I remember when this came out in 2020 but I didn’t have Apple TV and we were broke. And now I’m in the cape six years later mooching off of someone else’s account. AYO!!

    1
  59. J
    José 7 月 29, 2026

    Me encantó este documental demasiado y me pareció interesante que lo hayan hecho como una especie de stand up. Agregando que el homenaje que le hace Mike D y Ad-Rock a MCA es tan bello y sí se te sale una lágrima en la recta final. Siempre he pensado que Beastie Boys fueron como Radiohead: intentaron superar la canción que los hizo famosos para quitarsela de encima y no encasillarse. Pero siguen siendo recordados por ese hit, aún cuando han…

  60. T
    trcilolatrci 7 月 29, 2026

    Obavezna lektira!!! Zabavno i emotivno. Sjajan film 🤍

  61. C
    c_music_lover 7 月 28, 2026

    i love them 😭😭 so much 😭😭

    6
  62. H
    Houndrel 7 月 28, 2026

    Almost turned it off when I saw it was like a Ted talk format style but I’m happy I gave it a chance. Was cool to see them narrate their musical journey and pay tribute to MCA

  63. J
    joshua baker 7 月 28, 2026

    Watched this on a whim scrolling through Apple TV but WOW Beastie boys 4EVER I am already a big fan but this made me want to dive even deeper into their discography and just hear more stories. I loved every minute of this. Also want all the sick vintage clothes they are wearing. Live documentary was pretty interesting, I had never heard of that before. However, Spike Jonze did a great job as usual and it makes sense for him to direct this.

  64. N
    nikocontreras 7 月 28, 2026

    Hell of a documentary

    1
  65. G
    Grant 7 月 27, 2026

    The perfect day-before-bar-exam watch to check my head. Streamed on Apple TV

  66. K
    KekSt08 7 月 27, 2026

    So much more heartfelt and emotional than i expected, amazing stuff

  67. A
    avafrancess 7 月 27, 2026

    the lost opportunity of having a cool hot lesbian drummer in the beastie boys will forever haunt their legacy

  68. N
    Nikuuur 7 月 26, 2026

    Même quand on s’y attends le moins y a Steve Buscemi qui vient casser la baraque 10/10

    2
  69. D
    Dre 7 月 25, 2026

    After deciding to use Apple TV’s 7 day free trial offer, I’m going to attempt to watch as many movies and documentaries of my interest they have available. But I quickly learned why I never used Apple TV, because the majority of their library is behind a paywall. Paying a monthly subscription just to go back in your pocket to buy or rent videos? Apple TV is the OnlyFans of streaming services. But anyway, after surfing the platform, I’ve finally…

  70. G
    Gianni Zepeda 7 月 24, 2026

    RIP MCA. The disrespecting women has got to go, man.

  71. N
    nickb 7 月 23, 2026

    i watched the first half of this back in february and the very next day i ran into ad-rock at a fucking hot topic

    1 2
  72. B
    Brancusifc 7 月 23, 2026

    You know when you’re listening to a friend tell a story…and it’s hitting you with a mix of nostalgia, humor and inspiration. That feeling that you could listen to that all day and never be bored–you just want to let them go on and on….that’s what this doc felt like.

    1
  73. C
    c_music_lover 7 月 22, 2026

    this was one of the most heartwarming things i’ve ever watched oh my goodness i love them sm

    10
  74. S
    Simon Amadeus 7 月 22, 2026

    This movie hit me with the feels. I grew up with the Beastie Boys — almost got to see them on that first tour with Run DMC, but didn’t get to see them until later at Lollapalooza. Apart from Licensed to Ill, where I was ahead of the curve, I almost always fell in love with their albums years after they were released. This is an amazing story of growth, creativity, and friendship, told in their own voice with humour, humility and love, all backed by the most awesome soundtrack ever.

  75. E
    emi1420 7 月 21, 2026

    Es graciosa y está bueno q cuenta toda la historia de la banda

  76. O
    Oscar Bannock Priest 7 月 20, 2026

    White men CAN jump, it turns out. Probably the only time in hip hop I can categorically say that we did it BETTER

  77. E
    emz 7 月 20, 2026

    lembro muito de quando eu comecei a ouvir beastie boys na adolescência e o quanto isso mudou e expandiu meu gosto musical. Achei que o formato ted talk funciona pelo contraste de quem eles são hoje em dia. rip MCA

  78. K
    kris 🪐💫 7 月 19, 2026

    A beautifully hilarious tribute to the late Adam Yauch, highlighting the high-spirited characters of all three of the Beastie Boys as well as their intelligence, personal journeys and success being led by whatever they thought was funny. Will always be moved by Horovitz’s storytelling in this film and entertained by Diamond. Spike Jonze always knows how to use humour in his pieces and I loved the way he directed their music videos too. Rest in peace MCA. The Beastie Boys are still one of the coolest groups out there.

    1
  79. C
    casey 7 月 18, 2026

    i have a cool dad

  80. M
    Martin Castillo 7 月 18, 2026

    Again, since it’s a live stage performance, the direction is very minimal and laid-back, which is a shame cause knowing Spike Jonze I would’ve loved smt cerebral and weird in terms of visual direction. However, I love the Beastie Boys and their story is so well-told through Mike D and Adam Horovitz that emotionally it resonated with me even though it was lacking in some cinematic departments

  81. M
    Michael J Dolan 7 月 17, 2026

    Believe when I say I’m no better than you, except when I rap so I guess it ain’t true.

    10
  82. E
    elke! 7 月 17, 2026

    I miss you Mca

    1
  83. V
    VEER CHULKI HE/HIM/HIS 7 月 13, 2026

    Truly an expertly crafted documentary

    1
  84. S
    SammyBronkowitz 7 月 12, 2026

    Such a simple but amazing concept for a “documentary”. It’s really just the two surviving members of the band telling stories with a bunch of archive pics and behind the scenes footage. Yeah, it also feels like a lot was left out (I mean, they jumped from HELLO NASTY right to their last concert ever), but I was extremely entertained and learned a bunch of stuff about the band that I didn’t know before. —– #044 in 2026 VOD

  85. L
    liv 7 月 12, 2026

    what i learned: 1. my crush on ad-rock has only grown stronger and more persistent with time 2. mike d is a fabulous vocal impersonator 3. do what you love for the sake of doing it and have fun and most importantly: MCA forever ♥️

    1
  86. C
    Cody Dean 7 月 11, 2026

    The Beastie Boys are the best to ever do it. Their creative energy is infectious, and watching Adam and Mike narrate their own history is compelling and sometimes even beautiful. While the doc is way too short and doesn’t get as granular as you’d want, it makes up for it by their vulnerability and introspection. Seeing them own their regrets when other artists would double down really sets them apart. A really great celebration of friendship, love, creativity, and self-reflection.

    1
  87. A
    Andy Schmidt 7 月 11, 2026

    I’d much rather have musicians tell their story than the hagiography docs with a rock critic telling me how someone revolutionized music. Genuinely entertaining and touching.

  88. L
    lauracanzada 7 月 11, 2026

    sweet & sour like a tan ger INE

  89. T
    Tareque Sekandari 7 月 11, 2026

    So going in I’m a very casual beastie boy fan, didn’t know a whole lot about them outside of how they got discovered and the first tour with Run DMC and Madonna so this was right up my alley. Interesting way to do it in Ted Talk style but i enjoyed it.

  90. M
    MetaLunaIV 7 月 11, 2026

    Never meet your stars! For me, the “Beastie Boys Story“ falls into this category of event because Mike D and Ad-Rock are nowhere near as entertaining, important, cool and funny as they think they are, and so this biopic by Spike Jonze produces a lot of awkward moments and strange feelings, even though it certainly presents an interesting, novel approach for such a project.

  91. L
    lilith 7 月 10, 2026

    cursisisisisimo 😭♥️

  92. L
    lancepro23 7 月 9, 2026

    rip mca

  93. R
    romiseanez 7 月 8, 2026

    Los amo. Ahora voy a tener que escuchar todos sus álbumes.

  94. S
    sara 🧚🏼‍♀️ 7 月 7, 2026

    wow wow wow. never thought beastie boys would make me tear up like this but here we are i LOVE them and i love u mca

  95. Z
    Zac Graham 7 月 6, 2026

    Seeing Mike D and Ad Rock tell their own story is fun. These type of docs always have me on the fence though. On one hand you’re getting the story directly from the mouths of those who lived the experience. That’s pretty cool. On the other hand, it’s inherently biased. We can’t see a truly unfiltered look at the subject when they are 1. Alive and 2. Wanting to make money off this thing. With all that being said though:…

  96. J
    John Q. Public 7 月 5, 2026

    A really unique version of this. I still would like a full in depth docuseries just because of how prolific the BBs were. And an MCA documentary.

  97. A
    Alfpogs 7 月 5, 2026

    Entertaining and informative. Enjoyed the live show format. So much talent and creativity among those three guys and their collaborative circle. My one hiccup is that I felt like they rushed through everything after Paul’s Boutique. They gave everything up to then the attention and detail it deserved. Then it felt like they had to cut a lot out to stay within a time limit. Oh well. Still cool.

  98. L
    lia 7 月 5, 2026

    i watched this awhile ago but im thinking about it again really enjoyed this so fun

  99. T
    Tori Rae 7 月 5, 2026

    An interesting way to tell the story of a band.

  100. A
    Andreas Eskilsson 7 月 5, 2026

    CliffsNotes to the ones who found Beastie Boys Book too difficult of a task.

    1
  101. M
    matt l. 7 月 5, 2026

    what would yauch do

  102. A
    Aja 7 月 4, 2026

    if you hate them you go to hell and die

    4
  103. V
    Victor 7 月 4, 2026

    Maravillosa como siempre. Siempre los escucho y ahora quise volver a revivir este documental estilo comedia (muy a lo beastie boys) Tremendos!!

  104. O
    Olivia 7 月 3, 2026

    R.I.P MCA and Jam Master Jay. Run-dmc and the beastie boys really were the first rockstars of rap. They’re the kings of 80s hip hop.

  105. D
    Diego Sánchez 7 月 2, 2026

    Un documental honesto y divertido de ver contado desde el punto de vista de los integrantes Michael Diamond y Adam Horovitz ademas de recordar con cariño a Adam Yauch llevado de manera emotiva, también contando con un colaborador como Spike Jonze quien ha dirigido vídeos con los Beastie Boys a cargo de llevar a cargo este trabajo que resulta ser apasionante sobre todo si eres un fanático de esta mítica banda de Hip-Hop. Yo al final de ver el documental…

  106. B
    betthebullet 7 月 1, 2026

    Interesting way to present a documentary. Felt slow or strange at points, but was a cool watch for a cool band.

  107. V
    VinnieBLH 6 月 30, 2026

    Amazing band whose more experimental genre fusion work after their radio-rap debut is extremely underrated. Paul’s boutique and Ill communication are two all-time great albums that go largely unnoticed by most, so it was interesting to hear them covered in more detail here. Pretty much a live slideshow presented by the beastie boys but def some cool info in here. Adam and Mike are absolute cornballs who own it and I respect that but they did get kind of annoying after a while.

  108. C
    COCO 6 月 29, 2026

    holy fuck i love this band

    5
  109. U
    UomoPipistrello 6 月 28, 2026

    .

  110. E
    Enrique 6 月 28, 2026

    This was such an interesting format for a documentary. We here the subjects tell their own story to a live audience. Their stage presence is great. Even when there’s technical mistakes, the Beastie Boys’ charm will make you smile. They have such a long and interesting career to cover. They missed some parts of their career, but it’s understandable because you can only cover so much to keep this at a reasonable runtime. You still get to look at a…

  111. A
    Alex 6 月 27, 2026

    Predisposed to love this as a fan of both the Beastie Boys and Spike Jones. One of my favorite documentaries, can’t believe it took me this long to see it. If you love the BB or hip hop/rap in general, a must-see.

    1
  112. A
    Andy Romero-Compain 6 月 27, 2026

    White people should be like the Beastie Boys more

  113. R
    Ron 6 月 26, 2026

    I wish it was more of an earnest tell-all documentary or a funny stage show, not a weird mix of both. The last 10 minutes should have been the whole movie.

  114. J
    jaredperl 6 月 26, 2026

    New York City Jewish boys larping as rappers.

  115. F
    FinnBobos 6 月 25, 2026

    I love them. One of the most influential acts for the hip hop genre, and honestly any genre, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

    1
  116. S
    Sebastian 6 月 24, 2026

    posta el mambo ted talk te la baja un poco

  117. C
    CG 6 月 24, 2026

    What a band

  118. C
    Corey Hackathorn 6 月 24, 2026

    These dude are corny as hell with their little TED Talk, but regardless… what a great band, what a great story. RIP Yauch❤️

  119. G
    Griffin Jones 6 月 24, 2026

    “CRAZY SHIT WOOOO”

    2
  120. T
    ttocsmiller 6 月 23, 2026

    That was storytelling! Maybe one of the best music documentaries I’ve ever seen? Felt like full ownership of their legacy without missing out any of the finer details. Perfect for the super stans but also perfect for novices diving in for the first time. The “Intergalactic” music video is one of the first videos I remember seeing on MTV back in the day and was endlessly fascinated by this cool as fuck video that stood out among the Steps and…

    2
  121. M
    Mitch Hudson 6 月 23, 2026

    Love Spike and the b-boys, but this was more like watching a Ted Talk than an actual documentary. I still enjoyed the story though. RIP MCA 🙏

  122. O
    organboner 6 月 23, 2026

    So hype did not like the Ted talk aspect though

  123. S
    soupsocks 6 月 22, 2026

    I think the rehearsed Ted-talk vibes detracted a little from the emotional parts of the story

  124. A
    aidansterling 6 月 21, 2026

    Rick Rubin is like the Forrest Gump of music. That mf was everywhere, changes music forever, then claims he has no idea what he’s doing 😭

  125. S
    storm 6 月 21, 2026

    i love them so much man, legitimately some of the coolest most passionate white boys to have ever done it!

    2
  126. A
    avamadison 6 月 21, 2026

    just the coolest guys oat

  127. M
    Mj 6 月 20, 2026

    Check Your Head is the greatest album ever

  128. P
    pepijn_divided 6 月 20, 2026

    RIP MCA, Beastie Boys 4 ever. Intergalactic, planetary

  129. M
    Mark Lombard 6 月 20, 2026

    suddenly got the impulse to check out paul’s boutique, fabled hip-hop album that goes to insane sampling lengths a-la since i left you. it RULES! and i just instantly wanted to go down the beastie boys rabbit hole which led me to watching this that evening. it’s fun! it’s a cool storytelling and documentary premise. what was most touching was the emphasis placed towards and the deep love shown for Adam Yauch (RIP). It feels like both a positive eulogy…

  130. S
    sydney 6 月 19, 2026

    i love this group. they were so important in my childhood but really defined my years of college. all the albums were so significant during those four years, but there’s a special place in my heart for paul’s boutique. the part when “i don’t know” plays when they talk about how special MCA was never fails to make me cry and makes the song even more special. “i’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever”

    1
  131. T
    TheLobbyBoy 6 月 18, 2026

    I was/am only a slight fan of the Beastie Boys- but this was a pretty good documentary. At first I was unsure how the on-stage live story telling would be- but it was actually pretty good, and kept it lively because they are good story tellers. I never realized how innovative/revolutionary the Beastie Boys were. And while some (or early on, most) may have been their manager’s ideas- it was still something unique for the time. When people tell their own story I always wonder how accurate it is- but on the flipside you get an inside perspective that you would otherwise not get.

  132. K
    ksprouts 6 月 18, 2026

    very sweet and contemplative and funny but i do think the live scripted format felt a little funny to watch mike d and ad rock do for almost two hours

  133. H
    hann 6 月 18, 2026

    did i cry? no but it was a close call ….(if i was on my period i definitely would have)

  134. F
    Fabi 6 月 18, 2026

    Si bien el formato del documental es bien distinto a lo que se puede considerar regular siendo este una charla en un teatro, tuvo su encanto, que creo que Mike D y Ad-Rock se lo dan dan al 100% no solo en la manera en que cuentan la historia sino que entre esta resalta mucho la complicidad que tienen. Es demasiado emocional, sobretodo lo muy bien homenajeado que ha sido Adam Yauch y en general el legado de los Beastie Boys. Más allá de todo eso, esta banda le tengo un enorme cariño. ♥️

  135. N
    notgeorgeclooney.jpg 6 月 17, 2026

    Fun watch

  136. J
    Jacob Hinchely 6 月 17, 2026

    “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever.”

    1
  137. J
    julia 6 月 16, 2026

    intergalactic planetary, planetary intergalactic

  138. V
    vickyputi 6 月 16, 2026

    It’s just a stand up, the book goes waaaay deeper than this, but still, it’s the freaking Beas Tie Boys You gotta love it

  139. J
    JTschultz 6 月 14, 2026

    Cool, bangers

    1
  140. T
    taylor 6 月 14, 2026

    brb crying over a band i’ve never listened to

  141. M
    Maya 6 月 14, 2026

    they’re the illingest funniest freshest bestest most beastie boys in the world much love.

  142. A
    AdielOrtega 6 月 13, 2026

    Una genialidad, no es un Talk show, no es un una presentación teatral ni un view party, es una montaña rusa de emociones donde no solo se cuenta lo bueno como en las biopics también se habla de lo malo y de los puntos más bajos, se presenta una historia en pantalla y en el teatro se enriquece ese hito, te hace reír y te hace llorar. Lo mejor en su género.

  143. D
    dylan_r_hayes 6 月 13, 2026

    The TED talk acts as a substitute to the talking head format, which was unexpected coming into a music doc. Kinda works. It still comes across YouTubey.

  144. J
    Juliana Bongiorno 6 月 11, 2026

    Yo I’d just like to say what’s up to my grandma whatsup They didn’t mention White Castle even once???

    1
  145. S
    Skelder 6 月 11, 2026

    Me crying watching this at 7AM because I can’t handle grief like that. Also MCA is high key a baddie, RIP.

    1
  146. F
    ferndog 6 月 9, 2026

    so fucking cooooooooool

    2
  147. H
    halojeno 6 月 9, 2026

    WWYD?? I love this story, I love the format, I love how they’re kinda shit at reading from teleprompters, I love how Adam gets too emotional to finish reading his bit on Yauch, I love all the beautiful photography featured throughout, I love that they’re so honest about all their fuck ups. I love the Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence Boys. RIP MCA

    1
  148. J
    John Cataldo 6 月 9, 2026

    A love story to Adam Yauch “MCA”. My sister turned me on to the Beastie Boys in the early 90’s. 30 years later, they are still the best. 30 years from now, they will still be the best. Also It’s a live documentary, something I don’t think I’ve seen. And it’s so good and well made. I love it.

  149. T
    TJ Le Hunte 6 月 8, 2026

    Had this on my watchlist for ages, mainly just cause it’s Spike Jonze As if they just casually met Rick Rubin, they’ve had such a mad life ahahaha, touring with Madonna, DMC, playing massive Tibet charity shows, the people they just sort of hung out with The parts where they talk about Kate were really sweet I love all the photos sprinkled in they’re all so cool The love and respect they have for Adam Yauch is so so sweet,…

    1
  150. G
    ggouldst 6 月 8, 2026

    “I’d rather be a hypocrite than the same person forever” my favourite trio of white boys, Spike Jonze has worked so well with the group and what a lovely tribute to MCA

  151. N
    nanmcv 6 月 8, 2026

    The two surviving members tell the story of the Beastie Boys in a bare bones, Ted Talk-style format. I guess they wanted to avoid the ‘standard’ documentary format, but what they chose to do instead is awkward to sit through and so visually dull (despite the incredible imagery I associate with them from those old Spike Jonze videos) that it’s mind-boggling. I don’t know how you combine these talents with a genuinely interesting topic and manage to produce something so damn boring.

    1
  152. P
    PopcornInhaler 6 月 8, 2026

    SABOTAGEEEEE

  153. D
    Domenico Montixi 6 月 7, 2026

    meraviglioso. semplicemente la storia di tre amici, i ragazzi più normali del mondo, che fanno musica e gli succede un rollercoaster di cose incredibili, e questa storia è raccontata da due di loro, perché il terzo purtroppo non c’è più. perché questa è una storia divertente ma anche di perdite, sincera, commovente, che dice tantissimo ma lascia all’immaginazione esattamente quando dovrebbe o quando il dolore si fa troppo grande. uno dei documentari (è uno spettacolo, ma si può definire anche…

  154. C
    chloe 6 月 7, 2026

    documentary sunday # 004 – mj’s pick this made me cry !! the beastie boys genuinely fucking ruled and i adore them . loved seeing so much old footage + photos and how much fun they had just being together . friendship is everything ! definitely feeling inspired to ♥ fuck around and find out ♥ with my bff’s after watching this . should we start a band ???

  155. W
    will_rojan 6 月 6, 2026

    I love the Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence Boys

    1
  156. L
    lev 🖤🦇 6 月 6, 2026

    been wanting to rewatch this one for a while now and decided the time was finally right because…I SAW MIKE D LIVE LAST NIGHT!!! 💎 it’s the closest thing i’ll ever get to seeing the beastie boys in my lifetime so naturally it was an emotional experience, but i knew i couldn’t overthink it so i resigned myself to having the BEST time singing, drinking and dancing so as not to have a breakdown about it all in the moment.…

    6 2
  157. B
    Bludhavensss 6 月 5, 2026

    Loved hearing them tell the story with their own creative input

    1
  158. T
    TheDudeSWG (Carter) 6 月 5, 2026

    A true to the heart talk about one of my all time favorite bands, from Ad-Rock and Mike D themselves

  159. G
    gamergoose8 6 月 2, 2026

    I CANT BELIEVE IT I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL ON SATURDAY

  160. ⋆
    ⋆˚࿔ j 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ 11 月 30, 2025

    I miss them

  161. Q
    quincyadams69 11 月 7, 2020

    Such a fun way to tell the legendary story of the beastie boys. WELL IM MIKE D AND IM BACK FROM THE DEAD! Awesome !

  162. J
    jeanyoo 4 月 26, 2020

    I bought a Beastie Boys album back in the day but just didn’t get it. But Spike Jonze is truly great—classic Apple keynote style.

  163. C
    Carl Patterson 4 月 26, 2020

    This was pretty good. The theatre setting, the audience and the remaining Beasties kept it from being just another talking heads documentary.

  164. M
    Melanie 4 月 24, 2020

    I had tickets to see Adam and Mike on their tour for this at the Kings Theater but at the last minute I was unable to go which was devastating. I was so happy a few years later when this came out. I then reread the book and listened to the audiobook again. The 3 go perfectly together just like MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D. The photos, video clips and most of all the super funny, sad, crazy stories filled…

    3

Write a Review

My rating

M Michael Diamond Self
A Adam Horovitz Self
A Adam Yauch Self (archive footage)
B Ben Stiller Self
S Steve Buscemi Self
D David Cross Self
M Michael Kenneth Williams Self
A Afrika Bambaataa Self (archive footage)
J John Berry Self (archive footage)
K Kurtis Blow Self (archive footage)
M Mario Caldato Jr. Self (archive footage)
D Dick Clark Self (archive footage)
D Don Cornelius Self (archive footage)
A Adam Curry Self (archive footage)
T Tenzin Gyatso Self (archive footage)
M Matt Dike Self (archive footage)
K Karen Duffy Self (archive footage)
M Michael Simpson Self (archive footage)
J John King Self (archive footage)
J Jill Cunniff Self (archive footage)
Director Spike Jonze
Writer Adam Horovitz, Michael Diamond, Spike Jonze
Producer Jason Baum, Amanda Adelson, Spike Jonze, Alison Goodwin
Executive Producer John Silva, Sam Bridger, Thomas Benski, Dan Bowen, Michele Anthony, David Blackman, John Cutcliffe, Jonah Hill, Adam Horovitz, Ashley Newton, Michael Diamond, Dechen Wangdu
Editor Zoe Schack, Jeff Buchanan
Sound Jacob Feinberg, Martyn Zub, Paul Aulicino, Duncan McRae
Stunts Chad Knorr
Art Direction Eric Dean
Synopsis
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
Director
Spike Jonze
Writer
Adam Horovitz, Michael Diamond, Spike Jonze
Studio
Fresh Bread, Pulse Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Oscilloscope
Country
USA, UK
Language
English
Year
2020
Runtime
120 mins

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