Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

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Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
Billie Eilish - The World's a Little Blurry.png
Promotional release poster
Directed byR. J. Cutler
Written byR. J. Cutler
Produced by
  • R. J. Cutler
  • Anthony Seyler
  • Trevor Smith
  • Chelsea Dodson
  • Michelle An
  • Jay Peterson
  • Todd Lubin
  • Mark DiCristofaro
Starring
Edited by
  • Lindsey Utz
  • Greg Finton
Music by
  • Billie Eilish
  • Finneas O'Connell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • February 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
Running time
140 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1-2 million

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry is a 2021 American documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and centered around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.[1][2] The film reveals the behind the scenes creation process of Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,[3] with the title referencing a lyric from the album track "Ilomilo".[4] The film was released in select theaters via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021.[5][6]

Synopsis[]

The film begins during the success of Eilish's song "Ocean Eyes", which earned virality on SoundCloud and began receiving radio airplay. Three years after recording the song, Billie is on tour performing at a small venue in Salt Lake City. After seeing a fan being carried out after getting hurt, she reminds the audience that they need to be okay because they are the reason that she is okay. Billie explains that she doesn't refer to her fans as "fans", but rather as a part of her, and that she acknowledges her audience as people going through tough times just as she is.

Billie and her brother Finneas are in the latter's bedroom recording the song "Bury a Friend". Billie shows the camera a notebook containing drawings and lyrics, as well as ideas for her music videos. Billie's mom Maggie helps Billie show off her idea for the music video for the song "When the Party's Over". At the shoot for the video, Billie becomes frustrated due to various mistakes. After the shoot, Billie explains that she wants to direct the rest of her music videos by herself. Later, Billie and Finneas record the intro to the album which involves Billie's Invisalign and then discuss the process for recording the song "Bad Guy". The camera then shows Billie after passing her driver's permit test. Billie says that her dream car is a matte black Dodge Challenger.

Billie and Finneas practice the song "I Love You" in the bedroom. Later on, they are recording the song "My Strange Addiction". Billie and her team discuss finishing the album and recording the rest of the songs. Billie and Finneas record the song "All the Good Girls Go to Hell", which Billie describes as "horrible." Billie expresses frustration over the time they have left to finish the album while also criticizing her own singing. While recording the song "Wish You Were Gay", Billie and Finneas argue over the concept of accessibility in her music; this prompts an argument in the kitchen involving Maggie. Billie expresses her hatred for songwriting. After finally finishing the album, Billie appears on the Kevin & Bean Show and plays a video showcasing her love for Justin Bieber at 12 years old.

Billie meets up with her boyfriend "Q" at a show where she performs "Lovely" with Khalid. After shooting the cover for the album, Billie is presented with a matte black Dodge Challenger as a present for her 17th birthday. While touring in Europe, Billie's mom expresses concern over the song "Xanny" due to its topic of drugs. As Billie looks at promotional material for the album, she suffers a major tic attack due to her Tourette syndrome. After performing the song "Copycat" at a show, Billie is dealing with major pain in her legs due to excessive jumping at her shows. Billie reveals how injuries ended her dancing career when she was younger.

After returning home, Billie begins healing her legs before upcoming performances. Billie's manager calls her to talk about how Justin Bieber wants to record a remix of the song "Bad Guy." Meanwhile, the album becomes a roaring success, reaching the #1 spot in several countries and receiving a positive critical reception. Finneas shows Billie her Spotify page and how her songs have garnered hundreds of millions of plays. Billie and her family meet Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom at Coachella's backstage area. Katy gives Billie advice and tells her that she can call if she needs anything. Billie performs and is unimpressed with her performance due to technical difficulties and forgetting lyrics to the song "All the Good Girls Go to Hell". She calls "Q" and asks him to come see her, but he blows her off to which Billie responds by throwing her phone on the floor. During Ariana Grande's set, Justin Bieber surprises Billie and they meet for the first time. Soon after, Billie gets her driver's license.

While continuing the tour, Billie reveals that she and "Q" have broken up due to their ongoing issues. Billie becomes increasingly emotional during and after a performance of "I Love You". Afterwards, Billie becomes angry after being forced to meet multiple media people that she deems "random." On the road, Billie expresses annoyance over comments made stemming from the incident and states that she doesn't want to be perceived negatively by her fans. At a show in Milan, Billie sprains her ankle at the start of the performance which leaves her embarrassed. She apologizes to the audience and says that she'd rather not give them a show versus give them a mediocre one. Billie continues to rehabilitate her legs while recording the song "No Time to Die" for the new James Bond film of the same name. Later on, Billie reveals that she used to cut her wrists with blades in the bathroom at a younger age, showing various words written in her notebook as well as on a wall.

One day, Billie's parents wake her up to reveal her and Finneas' nominations for the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, which includes Billie being nominated for all four of the major categories (Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist). During a ride in the car, Billie exclaims that life is good. Various events are shown such as Billie celebrating her 18th birthday, directing the music video for the song "Everything I Wanted", and winning 5 Grammys while becoming the youngest artist in history to win all four of the major categories. Billie gets a call from Justin Bieber who congratulates her. The film ends by showing Billie singing "Ocean Eyes", the song that launched her career.

Production[]

Recording for the film began in 2018 and was completed in early 2020.[7] The Hollywood Reporter wrote in December 2019 that the film was developed with a budget between $1 million and $2 million.[7] They also claimed that the film was worth $25 million before being purchased by Apple TV+, but this claim was later denied by Eilish's team.[8][7]

Release[]

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry was officially announced via Eilish's social media profiles on September 28, 2020,[9] but had begun developing attention as soon as late 2019,[10] and more after she discussed it in several press interviews in early 2020.[11][12]

The film was released in select theaters and IMAX via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021.[5][6]

Critical response[]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 82 critics have given the film a positive review, with a 7.3 out of 10 average rating. The website's critical consensus reads, "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry offers an enlightening -- and sometimes uncomfortable -- look behind the scenes of a young star's ascension."[13] According to Metacritic, the documentary received "generally favorable reviews", based on an average score of 70 out of 100 from 23 critic reviews.[14] It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Picture Editing, and Outstanding Music Direction.[15] The film also was shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards.

References[]

  1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (September 28, 2020). "Billie Eilish Announces New Documentary The World's a Little Blurry". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Gregory, Allie (September 28, 2020). "Billie Eilish Announces 'The World's a Little Blurry' Documentary". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Mahale, Jenna (December 6, 2019). "Here's everything you need to know about Billie Eilish's new documentary". i-D. ISSN 0894-5373. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Bossi, Andrea (September 28, 2020). "Discovering Billie Eilish: Apple's 2021 Documentary Digs Into Young Star And Mystery". Forbes. ISSN 0015-6914. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  5. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 2, 2020). "'Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry' Documentary Hitting Theaters & AppleTV+ This February". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Apple Original Films releases trailer and premiere date for "Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry"". Apple TV+ (Press release). December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Weir, Keziah (January 25, 2021). "The Charming Billie Eilish". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  8. ^ Masters, Kim (December 4, 2019). "Billie Eilish Lands Massive Payday for Apple TV+ Documentary". The Hollywood Reporter. ISSN 0018-3660. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  9. ^ Richards, Will (September 2, 2020). "'The World's A Little Blurry': Billie Eilish confirms upcoming documentary". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 5, 2019). "Billie Eilish Documentary In Apple Talks For Major Money; RJ Cutler Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  11. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (January 26, 2020). "Billie Eilish Promises Fans Will Learn 'Hella S--t' About Her in Her New Documentary". Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  12. ^ Jones, Damian (January 20, 2020). "Billie Eilish confirms new album plans and documentary details". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  13. ^ "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  14. ^ "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  15. ^ Nast, Condé (July 13, 2021). "Billie Eilish Doc, Dave Chappelle's 8:46, and More Nominated for 2021 Emmys". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

External links[]

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