I'll start this by saying that if you are already a fan of Lil Peep and his music, you will probably like this more than me. You've likely already seen it, to be honest. I wasn't familiar with anything he'd put out, and admittedly may have only heard about him when the news of his untimely death was announced. As out of touch as it makes me sound, I think he got buried under the host of other artists who call themselves "Lil" something, and on top of that, his angsty, depressing, downbeat style isn't what I'm super into these days, music-wise. But, I appreciate what he did, and while I spent some of this documentary not really understanding the hype, I still had a good idea of why his music meant a great deal to many by the time it ended. My lack of enthusiasm for his musical output likely comes down to a matter of subjective taste, and so I can't be too critical for this documentary not entirely selling me on Lil Peep's genius.
That being said: this being a music documentary about a young, sometimes controversial figure who lived a hectic lifestyle and died young did remind me of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, and Amy, both released in 2015, and both stronger documentaries overall. I was never an Amy Winehouse fan, but Amy made me realise why she was so loved and made me respect her so much more (as well as feeling immense guilt in regards to laughing at her struggles while I was young and she was alive- the societal bullying she went through really dawned on me, and I think I've been a far more empathetic person ever since), and with A Montage of Heck, I was admittedly quite into Nirvana at the time, but my appreciation for Cobain grew immensely after watching it. Amy was more moving than Everybody's Everything, and Montage of Heck was much more dynamic and artistic with its presentation. I don't think it's unfair to compare Everybody's Everything to those films, as this one adopts a similar style, tells a somewhat similar story, and even compare the poster for Everybody's Everything and Amy: the title in a bold, pink font, a shot of the top half of the artist's head, and a dark background. There's likely a subconscious thought that this movie might be similar to Amy before you even watch the thing.
So while the movie is stylised, and generally dynamic with its presentation- utilising a great deal of archive footage and a huge range of interviews, as well as a generally effective and emotional structure involving Peep's grandfather reading numerous letters he sent to his grandson- it doesn't quite excel in terms of either visual style or emotional impact, at least not compared to those aforementioned movies. I'm harking on with the comparisons a great deal because I'm almost sure the filmmakers were aware of and influenced by these two incredible 2015 documentaries, and ultimately, what they've made is good but not on the same level. If you liked those, and especially if you like Lil Peep, this is without a doubt worth watching. But I'd recommend those two over Everybody's Everything, personally.
Still, one thing I do want to commend Everybody's Everything on is its depiction of addiction and the destructiveness that comes with an overly excessive lifestyle. It's so hard to deter impressionable teens from acting like this, as even logically explaining the downsides will make many of them want to rebel and do it anyway, just to spite you for telling them they can't. What this movie does is pull little punches when it comes to depicting Lil Peep's descent into both alcohol and drug addiction, but doesn't commentate on it excessively. It provides reasons why he turned to this, and so you don't come away thinking him an idiot or necessarily angry with him- more angry with his surroundings and the factors that made him turn to such vices. But neither do you feel like the film is glamourising it, and it's certainly not preachy. It's done in a way where you realise the horrors of going too far when it comes to drugs and alcohol, but it's shown, not explicitly told. I think that's the key. It's very clever, and I'm sure has the power to effectively deter some teens from the dangers of addiction. It's certainly more effective than a teacher or public speaker giving an overly detailed, excessively preachy lecture on why drugs are bad. I'm not suggesting that the film is subliminal with its anti-drug message; more that it gives teens and young people the chance to think about what's being shown for themselves. I think that's more likely to influence their behaviour in a positive way. Honestly, this should be shown in high schools.
Also worth noting is that the second half is stronger than the first, and far more emotionally moving too. It took me a little while to get into the film, as well as start to appreciate what Lil Peep was doing on some level. So I'd advise sticking with it if you're not a big Lil Peep fan like me, and find yourself less engaged during the first hour or so. It's a good film, well made, maybe a little long but not by much, and only suffers a little when you compare it to those better documentaries about young and tragic musicians that I brought up before. Regardless, it's solid, and at least a decent watch regardless of how much you know about - or feel towards- Lil Peep as an artist.
That being said: this being a music documentary about a young, sometimes controversial figure who lived a hectic lifestyle and died young did remind me of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, and Amy, both released in 2015, and both stronger documentaries overall. I was never an Amy Winehouse fan, but Amy made me realise why she was so loved and made me respect her so much more (as well as feeling immense guilt in regards to laughing at her struggles while I was young and she was alive- the societal bullying she went through really dawned on me, and I think I've been a far more empathetic person ever since), and with A Montage of Heck, I was admittedly quite into Nirvana at the time, but my appreciation for Cobain grew immensely after watching it. Amy was more moving than Everybody's Everything, and Montage of Heck was much more dynamic and artistic with its presentation. I don't think it's unfair to compare Everybody's Everything to those films, as this one adopts a similar style, tells a somewhat similar story, and even compare the poster for Everybody's Everything and Amy: the title in a bold, pink font, a shot of the top half of the artist's head, and a dark background. There's likely a subconscious thought that this movie might be similar to Amy before you even watch the thing.
So while the movie is stylised, and generally dynamic with its presentation- utilising a great deal of archive footage and a huge range of interviews, as well as a generally effective and emotional structure involving Peep's grandfather reading numerous letters he sent to his grandson- it doesn't quite excel in terms of either visual style or emotional impact, at least not compared to those aforementioned movies. I'm harking on with the comparisons a great deal because I'm almost sure the filmmakers were aware of and influenced by these two incredible 2015 documentaries, and ultimately, what they've made is good but not on the same level. If you liked those, and especially if you like Lil Peep, this is without a doubt worth watching. But I'd recommend those two over Everybody's Everything, personally.
Still, one thing I do want to commend Everybody's Everything on is its depiction of addiction and the destructiveness that comes with an overly excessive lifestyle. It's so hard to deter impressionable teens from acting like this, as even logically explaining the downsides will make many of them want to rebel and do it anyway, just to spite you for telling them they can't. What this movie does is pull little punches when it comes to depicting Lil Peep's descent into both alcohol and drug addiction, but doesn't commentate on it excessively. It provides reasons why he turned to this, and so you don't come away thinking him an idiot or necessarily angry with him- more angry with his surroundings and the factors that made him turn to such vices. But neither do you feel like the film is glamourising it, and it's certainly not preachy. It's done in a way where you realise the horrors of going too far when it comes to drugs and alcohol, but it's shown, not explicitly told. I think that's the key. It's very clever, and I'm sure has the power to effectively deter some teens from the dangers of addiction. It's certainly more effective than a teacher or public speaker giving an overly detailed, excessively preachy lecture on why drugs are bad. I'm not suggesting that the film is subliminal with its anti-drug message; more that it gives teens and young people the chance to think about what's being shown for themselves. I think that's more likely to influence their behaviour in a positive way. Honestly, this should be shown in high schools.
Also worth noting is that the second half is stronger than the first, and far more emotionally moving too. It took me a little while to get into the film, as well as start to appreciate what Lil Peep was doing on some level. So I'd advise sticking with it if you're not a big Lil Peep fan like me, and find yourself less engaged during the first hour or so. It's a good film, well made, maybe a little long but not by much, and only suffers a little when you compare it to those better documentaries about young and tragic musicians that I brought up before. Regardless, it's solid, and at least a decent watch regardless of how much you know about - or feel towards- Lil Peep as an artist.
