Thriller 40

2023

Action / Documentary / Music

31
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 93% · 2 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 93% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.9/10 10 1866 1.9K

pop star music documentary

Plot summary

Forty years after the release of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ the best-selling album of all-time, director Nelson George takes fans back in time to the making of a pop masterpiece, featuring never-before-seen footage and candid interviews.

Director

Nelson George Photo
Nelson George

Top cast

Will.i.am Photo
Will.i.am as Self
Steven Spielberg Photo
Steven Spielberg as Self
Nelson George Photo
Nelson George as Self
Quincy Jones Photo
Quincy Jones as Self
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB 2160p.WEB
815.04 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 28 min
Seeds 3
1.63 GB
1920*1080
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 28 min
Seeds 6
1.48 GB
1920*1080
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 28 min
Seeds 1
3.95 GB
3840*2160
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
N/A
Seeds 10

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by paul-allaer 7 / 10

Dissecting the best-selling album of all time

As "Thriller 40" (2023 release; 88 min) opens, talking heads are gushing over the album, and we are reminded along that Thriller was, still is, and always will be the best selling album of all time. We then go back in time to the Jackson 5. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.Couple of comments: this is directed by writer-musician-director Nelson George (who in fact played on the Thriller album). Here he celebrates one of the best and most iconic albums of all time, with Michael Jackson, then 24-25, at the peak of his creative forces. The talking heads include people like Usher, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, etc. The documentary really pays off when we get to the actual dissecting of the album tracks and the videos. Watch how current acts like K-Pop's BTS liberally "borrow" many moves introduced by MJ. And last, but not certainly least, there is "Thriller, the short film". Bottom line: I rarely play "thriller" anymore (because all of it has been played to death), but watching this documentary gave me a new appreciation for this, one of the greatest achievements in the history of pop music, and frankly all music, period. Please note that of course "Thriller" the album was released in late 1982, but "Thriller" the short movie was released in late 2983."Thriller 40" was released in limited theaters as a one-off on December 2, 2023. It started streaming on Showtime (now part of Paramount+) in late December. I just caught up with it the other night. If you are a fan of Michael Jackson or, say, of the just released "The Greatest Bight In Pop" documentary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
Reviewed by gcuriazza 8 / 10

overall very good!

I enjoyed this documentary very much, but I do wish that they payed more of his demos and unreleased songs. I loved seeing the new footage and HD Victory Tour footage. I wish they talked less and just showed him more. It was very good though, and I feel like it was just as good as Spike Lee's: Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off The Wall.I also wish that they discussed PYT and Lady In My Life. I also want to point out that I didn't learn anything new from this documentary, but it was still nice to see the footage of him talking. At least the MJ estate put some effort in! Solid documentary and I enjoyed it!!
Reviewed by imseeg 8 / 10

A thrill to watch!

I expected a mediocre retelling of the success of "Thriller", a sort of a cash cow, but what I got to see was (pun intended) actually really thrilling. Goosebumps from start till finish.The good: this album still is such BLISS to listen to some 40 years later! What is especially great about this documentary is that we get to hear snippets of the demos of "Thriller", which sounded awesome already, with merely hearing Michael Jackson's voice solo. What power.Back in time. Back to the eighties. Back to one of the greatest classics. Back to music heaven!Recommended watch for any fans of the "Thriller" album!
Read more IMDb reviews

20 Comments

Be the first to leave a comment