Billy Idol Documentary Review: Nostalgic Tribute to Post-Punk's Rebel
Swedish film-maker Jonas Åkerlund has crafted a lavishly sympathetic documentary tribute to British post-punk legend Billy Idol, titled Billy Idol Should Be Dead. The film, which premieres on Sky Arts on 26 March, combines a humorous shrug at Idol's outrageous excesses with a warmly nostalgic look at his career and survival against all odds.
A Wild Ride Through Rock'n'Roll History
Åkerlund, known for his attraction to the wilder edges of rock'n'roll as seen in his gruesome true-life death-metal horror thriller Lords of Chaos, proves to be the perfect director for this project. The documentary follows Idol, now 70 but looking remarkably good considering his history, as he looks back on his badass life and times in that signature cheerfully gravelly voice.
With what the film describes as "that certain type of luck indistinguishable from talent," Billy Idol rode the tide of punk to new wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His gamble on moving to the United States paid off spectacularly when he found fledgling 24-hour music video channel MTV, which was avid for content and always turned on by a self-destructive bad boy image.
Excess and Survival
The documentary doesn't shy away from Idol's darker chapters. He abused drugs with what the film describes as "religious devotion and intensity," leading to a near-fatal overdose in 1984. A second almost-as-bad episode occurred in the late 1980s when he collapsed in a lift at a Bangkok hotel—to the horror of Mel Gibson and his family who were trying to enter the elevator.
Idol's motorcycle accident in Los Angeles nearly cost him his leg and, as he claims in the film, ended his budding movie career. The documentary's title, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, serves as a stark reminder of how many times the rocker cheated death through his various excesses and accidents.
Cultural Impact and Legacy
The film draws interesting comparisons between Idol and other music legends, noting similarities to both Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran in that reflexive snarl-sneer that became his trademark. Idol's insouciant television interview style gets particular attention, especially his interactions with American journalists who loved hearing naughtiness delivered in a Cockney accent.
One memorable exchange captures this perfectly: when asked "How are you?" by an interviewer, Billy replied with characteristic cheek: "Mmm, yeah, I've had some very heavy sex since I've been here."
A Nostalgiafest Worth Watching
Ultimately, Billy Idol Should Be Dead serves as both celebration and cautionary tale—a document of British post-punk's rebel who survived against improbable odds. The film balances admiration for Idol's musical contributions with clear-eyed examination of the costs of his lifestyle choices.
For fans of punk, new wave, and rock history, this documentary offers a compelling look at one of music's most enduring and unlikely survivors. It's a nostalgiafest that manages to be both entertaining and surprisingly thoughtful about fame, excess, and second chances in the rock'n'roll world.
