The Devil and Daniel Johnston
The Devil and Daniel Johnston Image
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Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

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  • Starring: Bill Johnston, Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston
  • Summary: The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a stunning portrait of a musical and artistic genius who nearly slipped away. Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    100
    Feuerzeig's film - everything a good documentary should be - is a story of family, friendship, art and fame, as seen through the prisms of exceptional beauty and deepest pain.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Greg Burk
    80
    Some of his mystical encounters are just too spooky and amazing to reveal here, and Feuerzeig (director of previous documentaries on Jon Hendricks and Half Japanese) weaves them into the story with excellent timing and a psychedelic eye, aided by editor Tyler Hubby and cinematographer Fortunato Procopio.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Steve O'Hagan
    80
    Occasionally slides into a breathless fan tribute, but nonetheless an affectionate and candid portrait of a troubled artist.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    60
    Picture is particularly well-crafted, managing to avoid the ambulance-chasing tenor that might easily have turned this into a voyeuristic freakshow.

See all 33 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Zorro
    10
    I actually think Daniel Johnston was mis-diagnosed. I think he is on the autistic spectrum and originally had aspergers, but lack of understanding of his condition due to mis-diagnosis, accompanied by his drug use made his condition worse. He is totally a genius in what he was interested in, as are most people with aspergers.… Expand
  2. Walt
    10
    As a music junkie that has a bunch of his albums, I had an inkling of the crazy genius that is Daniel Johnston, but I wanted to find out more. This wonderful documentary exposes the lighter side and vastly darker side of Daniel Johnston. It is exceptionally well paced (except for the last 5 or 10 minutes that drag a bit), and very informative. Daniel Johnston is exposed through personal audio and video footage he and others took of him, pieces of his live performances, and interviews with his parents, friends, family and other musicians that know him. This is a wonderful and scary look at this cult music figure. The movie lays it all out there for you to see just who Daniel Johnston is. I drove 3 1/2 hours to NYC, and 3 1/2 hours back just to see this movie, and it was well worth the trip.… Expand
  3. ChadS.
    8
    To the uninitiated, the lucky ones whose lives weren't destroyed by music snobbery, watch Stephen Frears' "High Fidelity" to understand indie fandom. It'll help you better deal with the guy who thinks that Daniel Johnston is better than Brian Wilson. He's not. Johnston is an acquired taste(you have to understand the aesthetics of indie-rock). His music is for people who thinks Jonathan Richman doesn't keep it real enough. "The Devil and Daniel Johnston", however, along with Jonathan Caouette's "Tarnation", is another stunning example of how the proliferation of home-movie cameras during the eighties produced a treasure trove of archival footage. Without it, you don't have a movie, because the subject matter wouldn't be interesting enough. If you're befuddled by the accolades thrown Johnston's way, think of how radical the Sex Pistols sounded next to Fleetwood Mac. Johnston doesn't play punk rock, but he captures that do-it-yourself spirit, which used to be the ethos of alternative music before "Teen Spirit" commodified amateurism. To the uninitiated, "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" will seem like an inside joke, or worse, a black comedy like Hal Ashby's "Being There".… Expand
  4. PaulJ.
    5
    The Devil and Daniel Johnston is a well enough done film, and benefits greatly from archival film from various sources, but ultimately is somewhat difficult to appreciate if you are not a manic music fan of some sort. You certainly do feel sorry for Daniel Johnston, his has been a rough life, and I give the filmmakers credit there, for this could easily degenerated into a "this guy was nuts" sort of thing. And if you get the DVD, whatch the extras, as parts of his obsessions are more fully explained. But ultimately, for the non-manic non-Dylan type music non-fan, the film gets a little tedious, so I don't regret watching it, but it was really not the best film of the year. Daniel Johnston has done some amazing things over the years, and you certainly get a good feel for what he's been through, and maybe just at the end appreciate the progress in treatment as you can see him clear up some (hopefully not at the loss of his art), but still a bit of a slog at times.… Expand

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