The Beatles: What to Watch if You Love the Band
Over the years, Beatles fans have enjoyed a wealth of programming that they can watch about the band. Documentaries have been made about each member of the band, and series like Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back follow the band through archival footage. Here are several films and series that fans of the Beatles should watch.
‘The Beatles: Get Back’ (2021)
When The Beatles: Get Back aired on Disney+, fans had a chance to watch the band write, record, and perform classic songs. For the three-part documentary series, Jackson sifted through hours of footage originally captured for the 1970 documentary Let It Be.
While Let It Be provided audiences with a look into the band’s inevitable breakup, Get Back showed footage of the band enjoying their time together in spite of mounting tensions. Jackson said that he did not want to make the series if it was strictly about The Beatles’ break up.
The series culminates in the band’s entire 42-minute concert on the rooftop of Apple Corps.
‘Good Ol’ Freda’ (2013)
For 11 years, Freda Kelly served as the secretary to The Beatles. She is the subject of the 2013 film Good Ol’ Freda. Kelly, who managed the Beatles fan club and worked closely with manager Brian Epstein, tells her stories from her time with the band in the documentary.
The documentary also features four original Beatles songs in its soundtrack. Their music is notoriously expensive and difficult to get the rights to, and Kelly appreciated that they approved the use.
“I’m not easily impressed, but when the director told me over Skype that we’d got four songs, I got a big lump in my throat,” she told The Guardian. “I thought: ‘They still remember.'”
‘The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years’ (2016)
The 2016 film The Beatles: Eight Days a Week follows the band on their relatively brief touring career from 1962 to 1966. Directed by Ron Howard, the film was the first full-length documentary that The Beatles authorized since their break up. Because of this, it features interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, among others. It also shows never-before-seen footage that captures the band’s success and reasons for stopping touring altogether.
The film received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964) and ‘Help!’ (1965)
The 1964 film A Hard Day’s Night and 1965’s Help! placed The Beatles in their first onscreen acting roles. In A Hard Day’s Night, the band prepares for a concert while McCartney’s grandfather causes problems for them. In Help!, the band tries to save Starr from a cult that intends to sacrifice him.
While neither of these films will provide viewers with true information about the band’s creative processes or personal lives, they are a fun viewing experience. Both are musical comedies that show the funny, upbeat side to the band. They were also well received, with A Hard Day’s Night even earning two Oscar nominations.
