Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is a 2025 American documentary film, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. It explores the life, career, and legacy of Sly and the Family Stone.
| Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Questlove |
| Produced by |
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| Edited by | Josh Pearson |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Hulu |
Release dates |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025, and is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2025, by Hulu.
Premise
editExplores the life, career, and legacy of Sly and the Family Stone. Andre 3000, D'Angelo, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, Nile Rogers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, George Clinton, Ruth Copeland and Clive Davis appear in the film.[1]
Production
editIn February 2021, it was announced Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson would direct a documentary revolving around Sly and the Family Stone with Common set to executive produce.[2] In January 2023, Onyx Collective and Hulu acquired the film.[3]
Release
editIt had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2025.[4][5] It is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2025.[6]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]
Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com gave the film three and a half out of four stars and wrote, "Sly Lives! isn't as eye-opening as Summer of Soul (a difficult hill to climb). But it's still a clear cut above your standard hagiographic music documentary. This film sees Sly as a three-dimensional person whose brilliance should neither absolve nor condemn him. It marvels at his genius and mourns the evaporation of his hitmaking talent. It is as vibrant, colorful, and catchy as any Sly and the Family Stone chart-topper."[9]
References
edit- ^ "Onyx Collective Presents Winter Premiere Dates and First Looks for Documentary Film "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)" and New Comedy Series "Deli Boys"". The Futon Critic. December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (February 19, 2021). "Hot Off Sundance Success, Questlove To Helm Sly Stone Doc; Common To EP". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ White, Peter (January 21, 2023). "Questlove's Sly Stone Documentary Lands At Onyx Collective For Hulu Alongside Kris Bowers & Dahi's 'Anthem'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 11, 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ "SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (December 20, 2024). "Questlove's Sly Stone Documentary, 'Sly Lives!,' to Premiere on Hulu in February (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- ^ "Sly Lives!". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
- ^ "Sly Lives!". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
- ^ Daniels, Robert (January 2025). "Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
External links
edit- Sly Lives! at IMDb