Back to Black, starring Marisa Abela as the legendary singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, is currently in cinemas in the UK – and coming soon to the US.
Biopics are notoriously tricky to navigate, and that becomes all the more true when dealing with sensitive and nuanced subject matters.
Some would argue that the Back to Black reviews – and the initial fan reaction that no doubt fed into them – may have judged the new movie too harshly. But if you're looking to learn more about Amy Winehouse's life and legacy, we'd recommend you watch a documentary.
How to watch Amy, the Amy Winehouse documentary film
Directed by Asif Kapadia and first released in 2015, many count this Oscar-winning documentary as the go-to (outside of Amy's own back catalogue of music, of course).
It pulled together extensive archive footage, including personal home videos, to become a deeply intimate portrait of the girl behind the celebrity.
It charted her early pre-fame years, as well as looking at the journey she took to break into the music industry, ultimately becoming an adored global superstar.
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As an artist, Amy's lyrics and presence spoke to generations of people. The film leans into that, but is also unflinching in its approach to the struggles that she faced.
Through the words of those that knew and loved her, there's a care and tenderness in the storytelling that was missing from much of the media narrative that circled Amy up until her death. The camera doesn't avoid this though, panning out to the tabloid machine which commoditised her and begging questions of complicity that in many ways still hold relevance today.
Its contributors included Amy's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, her father Mitch Winehouse (who would later level a lot of criticism at the film), her mother Janis Winehouse-Collins, her manager Raye Cosbert and many of her closest friends and flatmates.
Despite engaging with the filmmakers during the process, the Winehouse family publicly disassociated themselves from the documentary before its release.
Even with this controversy, many believe that Amy strived to present its information as objectively as possible, leaving the viewer to draw its own conclusions.
Most importantly, Amy's own words run centrally throughout its runtime.
Amy is currently available to rent on Prime Video for £5.49, or to buy for £9.99.
How to watch Reclaiming Amy documentary for free
Reclaiming Amy, which first aired on the BBC in 2021, marked the ten-year anniversary of the death of Amy Winehouse.
It was billed as a "highly personal" account of the late singer, featuring on-camera interviews with family and friends who were close to her at various points throughout her life.
Amy's mother shared that she wanted to reclaim the legacy of her daughter, which is reflected in the title of the documentary TV special. This was positioned as a response to Asif Kapadia's 2015 film.
It is still available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
For other Back to Black content, check out:
Back to Black is out now in UK cinemas and is released in US cinemas on May 17.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
