X

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

Summary Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life...

Directed By: Lisa Cortes

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews

81

User Score Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

6.3

My Score

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Where to Watch

Summary Little Richard: I Am Everything tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon’s life...

Directed By: Lisa Cortes

Where to Watch

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews

95% Positive
18 Reviews

5% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

Metascore

Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews

95% Positive
18 Reviews

5% Mixed
1 Review

0% Negative
0 Reviews

All Reviews
Positive Reviews
Mixed Reviews
Negative Reviews

Dec 7, 2023

Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed with supreme love and insight by Lisa Cortés, is the enthralling documentary that Little Richard deserves.

By Owen Gleiberman FULL REVIEW

Apr 21, 2023

While the subject of her film used his flamboyant nature, church-rooted vocals, and percussive piano to invent something completely fresh, Cortés has stuck to the tried and true.

By Oliver Jones FULL REVIEW

Apr 21, 2023

Elegantly shifting her lens between Little Richard’s biography and the history of the music that sprung forth from him, Cortés traces a nearly impossible trajectory without losing a grounded sense of context.

Apr 28, 2023

In the end, there’s no doubt you’re looking at someone who, as academic Jason King puts it, “represented a complete upheaval of the existing social system” – and that we’re still enjoying the fruits of that bravery.

Apr 11, 2023

The welter of meticulously researched, perfectly chosen interview material cements Richard’s status as chat show gold – he initiated the term ‘Shut up!’ and could have probably made ‘fetch’ happen too – an endlessly engaging raconteur.

Feb 3, 2023

Little Richard: I Am Everything has to do a lot in its relatively short runtime, from exploring the origins of the musician, explaining both sides of his personality, and also diving into Richard’s influence on the future of music. Thankfully, Cortés’ documentary handles all this beautifully, and will make the viewer want to immediately learn more about Richard, his extremely fun work, and the life that impacted so many around him.

By Ross Bonaime FULL REVIEW

Austin Chronicle

Apr 25, 2023

I Am Everything is most fascinating when it goes deep into his formative years and the influences of truly obscure figures like Esquerita and Billy Wright (both Black queer musicians). Yet the further into his life the documentary goes, the less insightful it becomes.

By Richard Whittaker FULL REVIEW

See All 19 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

75% Positive
3 Ratings

0% Mixed
0 Ratings

25% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

75% Positive
3 Ratings

0% Mixed
0 Ratings

25% Negative
1 Rating

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

Production Company CNN Films, HBO Max, Bungalow Media + Entertainment, Rolling Stone, Cortés Filmworks, Women Make Movies, Producers Guild of America (PGA), Varèse Sarabande

Release Date Apr 21, 2023

Duration 1 h 41 m

Rating TV-MA

Genres

View All Details

Awards

Cleveland International Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

Image Awards (NAACP)

• 2 Nominations

Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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