Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.
TINA (2021) is a well-crafted authorized documentary portrait of one of rock's most iconic figures, featuring candid interview footage with Turner herself alongside rich archival material. The film covers her abusive relationship with Ike Turner, her remarkable comeback in the 1980s, and her eventual peace in Switzerland with genuine emotional depth. The cinematography is competent documentary work — well-assembled archive footage and talking-head interviews without particular visual distinction. Acting doesn't apply in the traditional sense, though Turner's on-camera presence is compelling. The narrative arc is moving but follows a fairly conventional rise-fall-triumph biographical structure familiar to the music documentary genre, limiting its novelty — especially given that 'What's Love Got to Do with It' (1993) already dramatized much of this story. The ending, depicting her hard-won contentment and farewell to public life, provides genuine emotional closure. A solid, respectful tribute that serves fans and newcomers alike, without breaking much new documentary ground.