X
  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • Netflix
  • 1 h 41 m
  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • Netflix
  • 1 h 41 m

Summary A classically trained musical genius, chart-topping chanteuse, and Black Power icon, Nina Simone is one of the most influential, beloved, provocative, and least understood artists of our time. On stage, she was known for utterly free, rapturous performances, earning her the epithet "High Priestess of Soul." But amid the violent, day-to-d...

Directed By: Liz Garbus

  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • Netflix
  • 1 h 41 m
  • 2015
  • Not Rated
  • Netflix
  • 1 h 41 m

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
75
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 35 User Ratings
7.9
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary A classically trained musical genius, chart-topping chanteuse, and Black Power icon, Nina Simone is one of the most influential, beloved, provocative, and least understood artists of our time. On stage, she was known for utterly free, rapturous performances, earning her the epithet "High Priestess of Soul." But amid the violent, day-to-d...

Directed By: Liz Garbus

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
75
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
75
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
91
Jun 24, 2015
An excellently clear-eyed primer on the woman whose talent carried her from an impoverished childhood in Tryon, N.C., to the world’s most rarefied stages—and whose political defiance nearly ended her career.
By Leah Greenblatt FULL REVIEW
90
Jun 25, 2015
Garbus's film is a portrait of a soul torn apart by forces beyond it and within it.
By Alan Scherstuhl FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 35 User Ratings
7.9
89% Positive
31 Ratings
6% Mixed
2 Ratings
6% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 35 User Ratings
7.9
89% Positive
31 Ratings
6% Mixed
2 Ratings
6% Negative
2 Ratings

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

80
Jan 31, 2015
Garbus embraces Simone in all her multitudes and contradictions — or at least as many of them as can be comfortably squeezed into a 100-minute running time.
By Scott Foundas FULL REVIEW
75
Jan 31, 2015
Away from the confessions that induce shock and the divulgences that elicit sympathy, Garbus leaves ample space for lengthy sequences of Simone's performances.
FULL REVIEW
75
Jan 31, 2015
When Garbus lets Simone show us why she's special What Happened, Miss Simone? is successful and vital.
FULL REVIEW
70
Jan 31, 2015
What Happened, Miss Simone does its job well, proving especially treasurable for its wealth of rare archive film footage and audio material that captures Simone’s fierce talent, fiery temperament and fragile mental health. But it is unlikely to be ranked up there with the best music-themed bio-docs.
By Leslie Felperin FULL REVIEW
50
Jun 20, 2015
It utilizes Maya Angelou's claim as tantalizing bait rather than the starting point for a feature-length thesis statement.
By Clayton Dillard FULL REVIEW
See All 12 Critic Reviews

Details

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Production Company Moxie Firecracker Films, Netflix, RadicalMedia
Release Date Jun 24, 2015
Duration 1 h 41 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline Her Story. Her Voice.
View All Details

Awards

Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
Women Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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