Two very different musical movies are coming to HBO Max in December 2025: one documentary, the other a mockumentary.
The latter is Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues, which arrives alongside the first Spinal Tap movie on Friday, December 12. Meanwhile, the documentary is It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, which is part of the HBO Max’s ‘Music Box’ strand and is streaming now.
I really loved Spinal Tap, which is deservedly hailed as a comedy classic, but in all honesty the sequel left me cold in much the same way The Naked Gun reboot did. Frankly, it felt rather unnecessary and, by comparison, reminded me of how good the original actually is.
The Jeff Buckley documentary is very different. It’s a celebration of the late singer’s life and music, and it’s already generated massively positive word of mouth. Decider says it’s “the film Buckley’s legacy has demanded.” I may be a little bit biased, because Buckley’s debut album is one of my very favorite records, but this docufilm is a nuanced portrait of someone many people have hailed as a musical genius.
Why HBO Max’s Jeff Buckley documentary is a must-watch
Buckley was a rare talent who died far too young, leaving behind some truly extraordinary music. ‘Grace’, his 1984 album, still sounds incredible – and you can hear its influence all across popular music, especially the more ambitious kinds of rock music.
As Decider explains: “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley contextualizes the stop-start nature of the singer’s career. His talent, while enormous, was also un-classifiable by nineties music industry standards. Here was a guy who could channel Nina Simone and Robert Plant equally, and play guitar like a devil.”
The documentary, which comes from Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg, was given access to Buckley’s journals, and it often appears as animations. The docufilm also features interviews with key people in Buckley’s life, thereby offering a very detailed and often unflinching portrayal of an unusual man with an unusual talent.
At the time of publication, it holds 98% and 97& Rotten Tomatoes ratings respectively among critics and fans. So, if you’re in the mood for one of this month’s new HBO Max movies that’s not a traditional film, I suggest sticking this one on.
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