Ronit J

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) Synopsis:

When it becomes clear that his solo album is a failure, a former boy band member does everything in his power to maintain his celebrity status.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) Review:

As a metal head in 2012 who was just beginning to flirt with world cinema and lesser known films, This is Spinal Tap was the perfect combo of two of my favourite things: movies and metal music. Spinal Tap remains one of my all time favourite mockumentaries. Popstar is basically Spinal Tap, but for boy bands.

I randomly stumbled upon this movie because of my Instagram algorithm. I thought it was a new, up and coming film. To my dismay, this film had been out for almost a decade. Not only had I never heard of it, but I hadn’t even seen it being recommended anywhere.

And you know what? I blame Hollywood for it. Everything today is a genre blend. Barely any films would qualify as a true genre film, and having watched Popstar, I can confirm that this one is just that.

A Classic Musical Mockumentary

While I’m not personally a fan of hip hop or pop, I absolutely loved this one. And there are two major reasons why: the writing and the performances. Instead of breaking the mould, Popstar doubles down on the formula. We start with an uber successful boy band featuring Connor (Any Samberg), Lawerence (Akiva Schaffer) & Owen (Jorma Taccone), who make up the Style Boyz. After being a cultural behemoth, they break up after Connor goes solo, with Owen playing as his DJ. Connor’s second album is on the verge of release, and the film ‘documents’ his release, the subsequent tour and how he reacts to the album tanking. Of course, as the film progresses, Connor makes increasingly destructive decisions that almost ruin his career. But then, he grows up, figures out where he was wrong, and reconciles with the Style Boyz, resulting in them reuniting for one epic performance.

Since the main trio is played by the writers of the film, and given the fact that they’re friends in real life, their chemistry and performances had an authenticity to them. While Samberg might never escape from B99’s Peralta, he manages to make Connor feel like a real simple-minded popstar whose fame has gotten to his head. The same is true for each character. They might not be the most profound personalities, but their caricatures feel real enough for the film to come off as sincere.

And that is saying a lot, given how producers are now opting for brainless prompt machines to write and generate content..

Hilarious, With Good Music

Popstar is no Bo Burnham. But, the songs it showcases are actually catchy. The songs are as much amazing parodies as they are good examples of the genres they’re poking fun at. Be it Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song) or the hilariously problematic Equal Rights, Popstar employs real musicians and comedians to marry the two in a decadent treat for fans of both.

The humour too hits just right. If you’re a fan of Samberg’s work, or Saturday Night Live, you’re sure to enjoy Popstar. The gags are actually funny, the characters’ stupidity is just simplistic enough without rolling over into cruel, and the overall narrative is believable despite some absurd moments in the plot. I don’t think there was a single moment in the film that I wasn’t looking at my screen. That’s because the makers have paid attention to every aspect—comedy and musical—to create a unique, yet familiar experience.

This sincerity in producing an authentic experience gives the film more weight than many of today’s OTT stories. And for that reason among many others, I continue to be baffled by the fact that this film isn’t spoken about as much.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

While he’s down, Paula (Sarah Silverman) approaches Connor and suggests they go out for a drink. There, Connor sees Owen performing a great song, which makes him realise how much of a bad friend he was. He reconciles with Owen and Lawrence, proceeding to jam ideas with them on Lawrence’s farm. While there, he gets an offer to perform at the Poppys, but turns it down because friendship is more important.

That’s when Owen & Lawrence reprimand him, stating that going solo was never the problem. Connor’s ignoring the Style Boyz was what led to their breakup. Connor agrees to perform provided the Style Boyz can reunite. During the Poppys, Connor observes Hunter (Chris Redd) mess up on stage, and get dumped by Harry (Tim Meadows). Minutes before his performance, Connor is informed that his time has been cut in half. He has to choose between performing his solo, or the Style Boyz track.

Connor decides to perform the Style Boyz track. He brings Harry and Tyrus (Justin Timberlake) to perform with them on stage, as well as Michael Bolton and Nas. After the performance, we see a shot of Connor with a new baby turtle that he names ‘Maximus II’.

Popstar is a classic musical mockumentary genre film. Popstar doesn’t break the mould. It chooses to follow its formula to the T, delivering a hilarious and entertaining experience with closure in the end.

Is Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) worth watching?

Yes.

For those of you who appreciate good genre films, especially the comedic mockumentary kind like Spinal Tap, you’re in for a treat. Popstar parodies the documentary format beautifully. It also delivers musical bangers that are as much a parody of their respective genres as they are good examples of them.

Plus, the SNL-style humour with Samberg and his gang in the lead pretty much sells itself.

In Conclusion:

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) is a hilarious genre film that is criminally underhyped. I can’t believe almost a decade has gone by and I am only just hearing of this. Seriously, go watch Popstar!

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