Blur – To the End

What keeps you motivated to keep working when you’re sleeping on silk sheets, have a mansion by a secluded beach, and all the time and money in the world to invest your energies in other hobbies? That’s the central question posed in Blur: To the End, a documentary biopic that tracks the titular Britpop band as they record and tour their latest – and possibly last – album after an eight-year hiatus.

There are multiple existential territories covered by the quartet, consisting of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree, as director Toby L explores their journey to making their new album The Ballad of Darren (which we learn is named after their security guard). Sometimes, it feels like it’s due to workaholism and the feeling that something is never really happening, as the frontman puts it. For James, on the other hand, it could be an outlet to sway him away from his old vices, as his bandmates attribute heavy drinking to the reason for why he was forced to leave the band in earlier times.

But the true answer is their brotherhood, one cultivated for many decades, starting from childhood for Albarn and Coxon. One of the wonderful scenes in this sentimental feature sees them revisit the school they attended together, where a music room has been set up in their name – the bandmates point out how the school has come a long way from their days of the days they were bullied in there and hiding in long-removed Portakabins, which further underpins the importance of their friendship.

Admittedly, as the feature is a fan-first affair that wants to tap into both the nostalgia of a tribe recollecting their memories and the present-day euphoria of reuniting for an epic national tour, it takes a very light touch to poignant themes, including ageing, alcoholism and redemption (there is surely something to mine in the initial announcement that the band haven’t spoken to each other in almost a decade, but it remains unexplored in favour of the idea that they are as good as gold today). But, in this context, the documentary is a roaring success, given even Blur’s biggest haters have major FOMO when they watch the majestic Wembley Stadium gig play out in the film’s climax. Audiences will either wish they were there, or wish they were still there.

Musanna Ahmed

Blur: To the End is released nationwide on 19^th July 2024.

Watch the trailer for Blur: To the End here: