Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Home video changed the world. The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape was enormous. This film traces the ripples of that impact by examining the myriad aspects of society that were altered by the creation of videotape.
Rewind This! is a loving, well-researched documentary about the cultural impact of VHS that will delight enthusiasts and collectors, but it struggles with some structural unevenness. The subject matter is genuinely interesting and the film covers a wide swath of home video history—from format wars to video store culture to cult film preservation—though it can feel episodic and meandering rather than tightly argued. As a talking-heads documentary, 'acting' is essentially interview performance, which is serviceable but unremarkable. Cinematography is functional but uninspired, relying heavily on archival footage and standard interview setups. The novelty is moderate—VHS nostalgia docs were becoming a small but real subgenre around this time, and while this is among the better entries, it doesn't radically distinguish itself from similar efforts. The ending wraps up without a truly memorable or resonant conclusion, leaving viewers without a strong final impression despite the affection clearly poured into the project.