Stardust [2020]

A revelatory road trip movie, Stardust chronicles how Ziggy Stardust came to be. Instead of getting another biographical concert, we get a very psychological movie that misses some marks.

First, I must admit that I didn’t know much about David Bowie, or Ziggy Stardust, so when I saw that the movie was streaming on Crave, I got intrigued.

However, as a true-to-life biopic, the movie doesn’t really make the grade. Something was just a bit off during the whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s one of the few movies I’ve seen lately where I was really engaged, sadly not satisfied. I wanted more!

As a British-Canadian movie about David Bowie and his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust during his first visit to the US in 1971, the movie will leave fans holding their nose. Thing is, there’s something interesting lurking beneath Johnny Flynn’s wig (He’s playing Bowie). It’s just probably not the one you’re looking for.

What’s disappointing is that the trip chronicled in the movie is the one that inspired the invention of the iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust. It’s a huge pivotal point in Bowie’s life and it’s sadly a bit mistreated in this movie.

In general, the movie fails to do justice to musical icon David Bowie. From the lack of his back catalogue to the inability to capture his essence, I was left a disappointed. Thankfully, I personally learned something new about another music legend.

Should you watch it?

There’s a loose, scruffy charm to this biopic about a pivotal moment in David Bowie’s life. The movie is taking a huge swing and missing some of it. If you didn’t know anything about Bowie’s first alter-ego, it’s a good starting point, but it definitely doesn’t tell the whole story.

Where can I watch it?

You can stream Stardust on Crave in Canada.