Back in 1987, Keith Richards was a key participant in Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, a blisteringly good documentary that paid tribute to the rock trailblazer, in all his imperfections. Berry gets name-checked in the trailer for the forthcoming Keith Richards: Under the Influence, and that seems an appropriate closing of the circle—an indication that Richards has himself aged into tribute-documentary territory. (And frankly, it’s a little surprising that he’s never been the subject of a major documentary, considering what a popular subject the Stones are for nonfiction filmakers.)
Directed by Morgan Neville, who co-directed the Oscar-winning 20 Feet from Stardom and last summer’s enormously entertaining Best of Enemies , it spotlights the version of “Keef” who’s recently—thanks in no small part to his engaging autobiography Life—supplanted the commonly-held vision of a barely-conscious, blood-replacing junkie: a self-aware, wise curmudgeon who’s finally become the kind of old bluesman he always idolized. Here’s the first trailer:
Keith Richards: Under the Influence debuts on Netflix on September 18.