The Go-Go's (film)

The Go-Go's is a 2020 American-Irish-Canadian documentary film directed and produced by Alison Ellwood. The film follows the rise of the girl band The Go-Go's.

The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, followed by its release in the United States on June 30, 2020, by Showtime. It runs for 97 minutes. On March 16, 2024 it premiered on The CW making it the first non pay television network to air the film.

Synopsis
The Go-Go's become the first successful, all-girl band to write their own songs and play their own instruments while making it to No. 1 on the charts. The Go-Go's follows the rise of a band starting from the LA punk scene.

Interviewees
• Charlotte Caffey, lead guitar, keyboardist

• Belinda Carlisle, lead vocalist

• Gina Schock, drummer

• Kathy Valentine, bassist, rhythm guitar

• Jane Wiedlin, rhythm guitar

• Margot Olavarria, former bassist with the Go-Go's

• Elissa Bello, former drummer with the Go-Go's

• Paula Jean Brown, former bassist with the Go-Go's

• Ginger Canzoneri, former manager of the Go-Go's

• Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill

• Pleasant Gehman, writer and musician

• Lynval Golding of the Specials

• Lee Thompson of Madness

• Stewart Copeland of the Police

• Chris Connelly, journalist

• Martha Quinn, former MTV video jockey

• Miles Copeland III, music executive with I.R.S. Records

• Dave Robinson, music executive with Stiff Records

Critical reception
The review consensus at Rotten Tomatoes for The Go-Go's had of critics recommending the film, based on  reviews and an average rating of. The website's critics consensus reads: "Emulating the spirit of punk in form and function, The Go-Go's is a raucous celebration of the pioneering band and a stylistic knockout that will blow viewers' hair back."

Top reviewers ranging from Rolling Stone to the Washington Post to NPR to the Wall Street Journal write that all potential viewers with the slightest interest in the band should watch this film, and even if viewers do not like the musical band the Go Go's, they will still like the film. They praise it for the candor that the members of the band bring to their contemporary interviews.