Moby Doc (2021) User Reviews

Mixed feelings

[danielcereto · 6/10 · 10 July 2021]

I was a teen that grew up in the 90's listening to some big Moby's hits. I really enjoyed the documentary from 80's to late 90's, where Moby was on the top of his career. Great to know details like he was diagnosed with mental health problems at that time.

On the other hand, the last part of the documentary was boring and get out from the main point. So, overall mixed feelings because of the inconsistence.

Somehow makes trauma feel like vanity

[WePerished · 6/10 · 29 July 2021]

As a big Moby fan back in the day I was really excited to see it. But what a bizarre documentary. Very contrived interview set up with fake conversations with fake psychiatrists and with people on the phone. Stylistically it jumps around and is very inconsistent. The story leaps around and doesn't link together and huge periods of his life are just left out. There's very odd b-roll choices and over-use of space and rockets. The humour feels awkward and makes the deeper stuff seem like it wasn't to be taken serious.

But the most disappointing thing was how insincere it comes across. For a story with so much trauma, sadness, suicide etc it comes across more as vanity than vulnerability. I appreciate bold creative choices, but boy did they make the wrong ones here. It just completely undermined the themes of the film. It's a mess that makes Moby less relatable. This is exactly how NOT to make a documentary about this subject matter.

self-Moby

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 27 January 2022]

Moby is making bio-doc about himself. One must always be weary when a famous person is doing their own biography. Is he willing to go dark? Is he willing to go deep? The answer seems to be maybe. It boils down to the poop story. It's disgusting, degrading, and it's a low-key brag. It doesn't get more rock n roll than waking up from an orgy. The poop is the extra cherry on top to out-do even the most extreme stories. Sure it's not snorting human remains but it's the next best thing. That's this movie. He's telling us about his alcoholism, his hedonistic lifestyle, his dysfunctional family, and his redemption into activism. It's Moby as told by Moby. At least, he has enough crazy stories to keep this interesting.

Just listen to the audiobook

[lapv1992 · 6/10 · 4 October 2023]

Or read it, it's far more intimate and engaging. The David lynch twin peaks Laura theme song was forced. I listened the audiobook a few months ago then realized this doc exists. The visuals makes it compelling and the way he mocks himself (which is not in the book) makes this documentary a little light, unserious, for the topic. Moby has lived a very intense life and that comes thru both, book and documentary but the devil is in the details and this cinematography piece lacks the puches of despair that emerged from chaotic passages in the book.

In resume, yes this is a easy to consume lighter version of the book...

Felt unfinished

[LLgoatJ · 8/10 · 18 December 2021]

As you would expect, a documentary about Moby was never going to be straightforward and standard. It starts out really well and there are some deep moments but half way through seems to lose its steam.

It does tell you about his childhood and the pressures of fame in an unique and interesting way. There are insights. Also as you'd expect there is plenty of his music and looks of beautiful shots. Stories are told with wooden models, actors and while he is on the phone. You need to give it your full attention as there are little bits its easy to miss.

It just really felt unfinished. Maybe that was intentional. It just really felt like it was 3/4 there but never quite got there.

Usually when watching a documentary

[iraava · 2/10 · 20 November 2021]

About an artist it deepens your perspective and view of them and it makes you connect and like them a bit more irregardless of your previous emotions. I actually had a pretty neutral perspective on Moby, having even liked some of his songs but this documentary made me detest him and really understand why he was so hated. Never have I seen someone come across at the same time quite as whiney, pompous, pretentious, boring and condescending. I'm really trying to think of something good to say. The quality of the camerawork and the animations are fine I guess? But this documentary was a waste of time to be honest.

The story of Moby as told by Moby (the movie edition)

[DeadMansTrousers · 9/10 · 29 May 2021]

At this point fans of Moby who are interested in seeing this documentary have probably read at least one of his books. If not then I would definitely recommend this doc as a starting point. While it mainly focuses on Moby telling his story first person it also heavily features new interviews from David Lynch which I found interesting and worthwhile. For longtime fans of Moby I'm sure some of the information in this will be rehashed material but I still found it enjoyable to watch and I would recommend it if you are a fan.

Strong start, weak ending

[nrgigaba · 5/10 · 1 December 2021]

The first half of this documentary is amazing. You're instantly hooked and wanna see it to the end, but it anticlimax in the end. He failed to carry the vision through. It's as if the second half of it was spent on psychedelics trying to make something which would blow our mind but fails to explode.

Not your basic doc

[lholmes-45078 · 10/10 · 29 May 2021]

This film is incredible. Moby Doc is fresh (and welcome) approach to the documentary genre! I wish more docs were this interesting, well done, and creative. HBO, Netflix, and Hulu take note!

The documentary is consistent with it's star.

[mike-46628 · 2/10 · 6 July 2021]

The documentary is at least consistent with it's star. They are both self indulgent and overrated.

Ace on all counts

[anxiousgayhorseonketamine · 9/10 · 3 March 2024]

Reading the reviews here one is surprised at so many people not liking the documentary and even more so not liking the musician the person even i wonder why they even watched that?

• Personally I am a huge fan of the music of this man it is beautiful most of the time and very deep in a sort of spiritual religious sometimes Christian way.

When you hear about his first 5 to 10 years especially the demise of his father and the way it happened you can see and feel that this level of trauma can either destroy a person for their entire life or make it that they dig deeper and turn this unbelievable level of pain into some artistic creation which not only helps the creator but also helps people who come into contact with those creations.

• There are now countless number of recordings of Moby and quite frankly I do not see the quality ever waning in any of them. The one that was slated the most was called animal rights and with hindsight it now sounds ace too

anyway enough about the music to the documentary then

The way he has put this together is very much a sort of punk do-it-yourself kind of method of putting footage arranging it in a way that amuses the viewers

He jumps around quite a lot between different periods but in the end is quite chronological. It is a creative piece of work in itself. I came to this documentary on the back of reading the first book he wrote called Porcelain about the years up to 1999 I think. I shall read the second book as well but what is in this documentary is exactly exactly what is in the first book but of course with the added possibility of graphics and photos so in many ways it is more interesting but the book is really really good too highly highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it

As Music documentaries go and there are so many bad ones around this one is really very good I shall give it probably a nine it is not perfect but it is close to perfect. Every fan should and will probably have seen this let me just say thank you to Moby for all this incredible music which lifts the spirit time and time again. And has the guy got ego issues? Is he a little bit self-centred? Come on folks he's a musician :-)

Disconnected

[franckpourchet · 1/10 · 1 November 2021]

What a load of self centered, ugly, contradictory and disconnected stuff. It seems like he wants to tell a big message to the world like some kind of who knows what cult messiah. It seems to tell he and his friends created the very simple fact of nourishing yourself without the help of meat. It seems to tell amazing rock star decadence that obviously didn't wait for Moby or rock or tekno to be alive through humanity. It seems, it seems, it seems ... It is probably like many works honest but without any kind of interest. It's 1 life among billions. So what?

Lost so much admiration after watching this

[boydwalters · 3/10 · 20 December 2021]

What can I say ... Love some of the mans music ... But I wouldn't want to meet the person ... Then or now ... He puts himself down for being arrogant and out of control in the past ... Then appears as a complete a-hole now too ... Bad strategy mr Moby ... I've lost all respect for the person, but still love some of his older music How he can think he has processed as a person into his later stage is beyond me ... And this sort of arrogantly seems to praise him up in his new alter ego ( emphasis on ego !!!! ) Don't watch it if you don't want to spoil the music ... The guys a pain.

Insufferable

[torrascotia · 2/10 · 18 November 2023]

Moby first came to my attention as a rave music producer during the 90's for the hit track Go which like many of the stand out dance tracks, registered in the mainstream pop charts globally. Today its still considered a classic, particularly by those were partying when it arrived. Today Moby is more recognisable as the guy who release the Play album which sound-tracked a million TV commercials and no doubt packed his bank account.

This is a well financed bio-doc narrated by himself and for this reason it fails. First off we cover his childhood which has him apparently recollecting events from aged 3. We were all aged 3 but seriously how can anyone reliably recall anything from that age? Let alone judge the dynamics between his mother and father? We are also led to believe that his affinity with animals was due to his family dynamic. Again this is supposed to be him talking as a 3 year old? Some people, such as those on the autistic spectrum simply prefer animal company because its less taxing than being around animals. And there is an odd disconnect when he talks about people in his life. He mentions a friend was stabbed to death when discussing a disused factory he lived in, his next line line is I loved living there. Eh? No mention of the circumstances around the murder or how it impacted him emotionally, only that he loved where it happened? There is something off about the tone of this doc or rather the narrator. Another gripe is what I read as faux humbleness. There is a constant thread of him saying I never expected any success, if that is the case why do it? And for so long. Its as if he refuses to accept he was ambitious, despite claiming his dream was a mansion. In terms of his musical career, its clear that his biggest successes have been making sample based music. His own Animal Rights album flopped hard. That is using other peoples tracks, most of whom won't see a penny. This was particularly striking when he plays with an orchestra with a black choir. And it strikes you he was basically a culture vulture as the rappers say.

The production quality is fairly high but a huge chunk of the running time is made up of animations and what looks like CGI in order to pad out the time to 90 mins. A 90 mins I never made it to as it switched it off after about 60. This came across as quite a tone deaf and so self focused that there is very little emotional depth to it. It seems to be trying to suggest this is a story of an underdog who made it by sheer luck as opposed to someone who spent 15 years making music before making it by discovering sampling, which ironically could only have happened in the 90s. I didn't come away from this liking him any better.

Ugh...

[no_vampires_here · 1/10 · 26 December 2023]

This is a documentary about a person who wanted to be big.

He almost made it - with a few nice songs at the right moment.

But in the end he couldn't get "there" fully.

And instead of accepting the fact like any grown up, he thought "waaaa I wanna be big waaaa waaaa" and so, he started doing documentaries about himself.

Being actually big.

But he's not, he's average big.

Very average.

Alas! For this gray shadow, once a man- So glorious in his beauty and thy choice, Who madest him thy chosen, that he seem'd To his great heart none other than a God!

I ask'd thee, 'Give me immortality.' Then didst thou grant mine asking with a smile, Like wealthy men, who care not how they give ...

If you believe - clap your hands!!!

Enjoyed it much after reading his two memoir books

[Otchuda-Say · 4 February 2024]

I enjoyed this for its typical Moby approach to telling his stories. Combination of Moby playing with wooden figurines representing his parents and childhood traumas, friends role-playing psychiatrists, combined with animations to describe feelings of mess and loneliness during different times in life from childhood abuse through adolescence living in abandoned factory to music and fame and breakdown, all mixed with archival footage from music tours and collaborations with David Bowie. If you're a fan of Moby, you'll enjoy this self-throwback of the artist very much. Must-watch right after reading his 2 memoir books. 👍👍👍