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...

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

2023
TV-MA
Magnolia Pictures
1 h 41 m

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Name: Little Richard: I Am Everything
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History, Music
Released: 2023-04-21
Duration: 1 min 41 s
Rating: 81
Cast: Little Richard, Ralph Harper, Newt Collier, Charles 'Bud' Penniman, Muriel Jackson

Metascore Universal Acclaim Based on 19 Critic Reviews

User Score Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

6.3

My Score

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Critic Reviews

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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

View All

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

100

Variety

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

Observer

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

Paste Magazine

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.

FULL REVIEW

NME

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.

FULL REVIEW

Time Out

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.

FULL REVIEW

Collider

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

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User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

6.3

75% Positive
3 Ratings

0% Mixed
0 Ratings

25% Negative
1 Rating

User Reviews

View All

User Score

Generally Favorable Based on 4 User Ratings

6.3

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

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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

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Awards

Cleveland International Film Festival

• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

Image Awards (NAACP)

• 2 Nominations

Guild of Music Supervisors Awards

• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Where to Watch

Where to Watch

Top Cast

Little Richard

Self - Architect of Rock & Roll

Ralph Harper

Self - Macon Neighbor

Newt Collier

Self - Cousin

Charles 'Bud' Penniman

Self - Little Richard's Dad

Muriel Jackson

Self - Head of the Middle Georgia Archives

Zandria Robinson

Self - Scholar

Billy Vera

Self - Specialty Records Historian

Billy Porter

Self - Musician

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Self - Singer, Mother of Rock and Roll

Nona Hendryx

Self - Labelle

Valerie June

Self - Musician

Stanley Stewart

Self - Cousin

Ma Rainey

Self - Singer

Fredara Hadley

Self - Ethnomusicologist

Jason King

Self - Scholar

Billy Wright

Self - Singer

Libby Anthony

Self - Entertainment Agent

Esquerita

Self - Musician

Charles Connor

Self - Drummer

Lloyd Price

Self -Singer, Songwriter

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

Critic Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

User Reviews

Details

Details

Awards

Awards

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