Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band.
A solid documentary chronicling Joy Division's brief but enormously influential arc, drawing on archival footage and interviews with surviving members. The chronological structure is competent but conventional for a music doc. Cinematography relies heavily on archival material of variable quality, though this is inherent to the subject matter. Novelty is moderate — the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division remains compelling, but the documentary approach is fairly standard. Acting category not applicable in a traditional sense (rated on talking-head quality and subject engagement). The ending, dealing with Curtis's death and the band's dissolution, carries natural emotional weight without being especially crafted for dramatic effect.