The Amy Winehouse documentary from Senna's Asif Kapadia, has been described as "stunning" and "as gripping as a thriller" by critics.
Peter Bradshaw: The Guardian
He calls it "A tragic masterpiece."
In a five star review, he said: "Asif Kapadia's documentary study of the great British soul queen Amy Winehouse, who died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, is stunningly moving and powerful: intimate, passionate, often shocking, and almost mesmerically absorbing."
He adds: "It is an overwhelming story, and despite everyone knowing the ending, it is as gripping as a thriller: Kapadia has fashioned and shaped it with masterly flair."
Robbie Collin: The Telegraph
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"Kapadia's film is many things: a Sherlockian reconstruction of Winehouse's arcing path across the skies of superstardom, a commemoration of her colossal talent, and a moving tribute to a brilliant, witty, vivacious young woman gone far too soon."
Sophie Monks Kaufman: Little White Lies
"Disappointingly, puffed-up melodrama is something that Asif Kapadia – despite his immense storytelling skill – adds to rather than pierces with his engrossing but somewhat pointless exercise in retracing the high and lowlights of a public figure already bogged down in hyperbolic projections."
Stephen Dalton: The Hollywood Reporter
"Kapadia also glosses over some of the singer's own less excusable behaviour, including multiple arrests for assault.
"But as a whole, Amy is an emotionally stirring and technically polished tribute, its sprawling mass of diverse source material elegantly cleaned up, color-corrected and shaped into a satisfying narrative."
Kaleem Aftab: Indie Wire
"The Senna director digs deep into the popular myth surrounding Winehouse -- that she's another singer who lost control of her own life when fame and drugs overtook her -- and finds a much deeper story."
The critic goes on to add: "Whether he has or hasn't captured the true essence of the singer may require further debate, but what's beyond question is that "Amy" is an extraordinary, powerful work."
Giving Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse documentary the full five stars in The Times. A cinematic song for a lost soul.
— Kate Muir (@muirkate) May 16, 2015
The Amy Winehouse doc AMY was crushing. I felt queasy, complicit, & implicated, since film uses so much paparazzi footage. #Cannes2015
— Logan Hill (@loganhill33) May 16, 2015
Amy Winehouse documentary Amy the rawest, most heartbreaking and honest film I have ever seen about a star's raise and fall. #Cannes2015
— jfuruly (@jfuruly) May 16, 2015
Tasha is a freelance writer for with a particular interest in the representation of women in film and TV. After graduating with a Literature degree then journalism qualifications with News Associates a few years further back than she’d like to admit, Tasha began her freelance career. She’s worked as a writer, editor and commissioning editor for a number of publications including Digital Spy. She is also a theatre critic. LinkedIn
