While Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James gives James the respect he deserves as an artist, it doesn't overlook the unseemly aspects of his life, behavior and art.

| Oct 4, 2021

As much as the film celebrates and closely analyzes James' music, it also doesn't shy away from examining the darker side of his achievements.

| Sep 26, 2021

I liked it a lot, [but] I did not find him all that sympathetic.

| Sep 3, 2021

It pulls no punches... But it really showcases his considerable talent.

| Sep 3, 2021

It's surprising that there hasn't previously been a full film documenting the singer's remarkable life of ups and down. Director Sacha Jenkins... takes on the task with a verve that reflects the artist at hand.

| Sep 3, 2021

Bitchin: The Sound and Fury of Rick James, by director Sacha Jenkins, doesn't exactly rescue the proto funk-rocker from oblivion. It just gives him his overdue due.

| Sep 2, 2021

Perhaps the smartest move Bitchin' makes is to just lay all of James' cards out on the table and let the audience figure it out for themselves.

| Original Score: B+ | Sep 2, 2021

The documentary does a great job of delving into the life and career of the funk pioneer while foreshadowing his fall from grace. Sputters at the end, but still a good watch.

| Sep 2, 2021

Fascinating and troubling viewing.

| Sep 2, 2021

Despite the involvement of James' daughter and brother in it, Bitchin' pulls no punches in depicting how James was the architect of his own destruction, fueled with a toxic mix of ambition and insecurity.

| Jun 24, 2021

Documentaries can only be as fascinating as their subjects. That's why this bio/doc will have legs, because even in the afterlife Rick James gives his fans something to talk about.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 22, 2021

A new documentary looks more deeply at James' life, and while the conventional wisdom is very much true, it turns out there's much more to the late funk star than just that.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jun 22, 2021

A fascinating recounting of a charismatic, immensely talented legend who lived a million lifetimes in the span of his brief yet meteoric career.

| Original Score: C+ | Jun 15, 2021