Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
"One Direction: This Is Us" is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction.
A fairly standard concert documentary/fan film that follows the well-worn formula of rise-to-fame narrative interspersed with live performance footage. The high TMDB score reflects passionate fan enthusiasm rather than cinematic distinction. The cinematography captures the concert energy competently but without particular artistry. There's little that distinguishes it from dozens of similar music documentaries, and the narrative arc is predictable. The performances themselves carry the film for fans, but as a documentary it breaks no new ground in form or storytelling.