Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic, “Back to Black,” has already been released in the UK to mixed reviews. However, fans in the US still have to wait a little longer: the drama film will arrive in theaters on May 17.
The movie stars Marisa Abela, who is known for her work in series such as HBO’s “Industry” and Sky’s “Cobra.” The rest of the cast also includes Jack O’Connell, who plays Blake Fielder-Civil, Amy’s husband from 2007 to 2009, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville.
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The movie, which was consented by Winehouse’s estate, has been hugely controversial, with fans online heavily criticizing some of the clips that have circulated online. However, the movie has grossed $3.4 million at the international box office so far.
When and where is ‘Back to Black’ coming out on streaming?
The film is being distributed by StudioCanal in the UK, while Focus Feature (a subsidiary of Universal) is releasing it in the US. So, in theory, the movie would land first on Peacock, but there’s no official word on it yet. We’ll update the article when there’s more information on the topic.
Why has ‘Back to Black’ been controversial?
Even from the film’s announcement, fans of the singer have been concerned with the nature of the project, considering that it isn’t necessary, and that making a film about Winehouse, whose mental health’s struggles have been explored in the acclaimed documentary “Amy,” was “exploitative.”
And, the response from critics has been divisive. While The Guardian gave a positive review, calling the film “an urgent, warm, heartfelt dramatisation… buoyed by an extraordinary lead performance,” the Evening Standard destroyed the movie, especially for its portrayals of Blake Fielder-Civil, and Winehouse’s father Mitch.
The majority of the criticism is directed at the script, which implies that certain well-known situations unfolded differently. For instance, Fielder-Civil has admitted that he was the one who introduced Amy to harder drugs, but the film implies that she began using heroin on her own. Another implication in the movie, which hasn’t been well received, is that Amy’s relapse was due to her desire to be a mother, and the fact that Blake was having a baby, which is false.
