There is no shortage of movies and documentaries about the life of a touring band, but few of them capture a band that’s just on the rise to fame. Michael Winterbottom aims to do just that with “On The Road,” a hybrid movie that follows increasingly popular U.K. band Wolf Alice as they promote My Love Is Cool, while mixing in a fictional story to tie it all together.
James McArdle and Leah Harvey star as the non-band members in the film, playing an intern and a member of the road crew, respectively, who become fast friends as the tour moves from one city to the next. Unfortunately, the film didn’t quite work for us, with Oli Lyttelton lamenting in his review that it plays like ” ‘9 Songs‘ but without the explicit sex, and something that feels tossed-off and half-thought-out.” Here’s the official synopsis:
ON THE ROAD follows North London rock four-piece Wolf Alice as they take to the streets of the UK to promote their debut album, My Love Is Cool, for the last time. Driving from city to city, playing 16 cities in three weeks, the band are joined by Estelle (Leah Harvey), an intern with the band’s record company, who will be helping the band with their promotional duties, accompanying them as they visit local radio stations and give interviews to the press. Estelle strikes up a intimate friendship with Joe (James McCardle), a member of the band’s road crew, and through their eyes, we see both the magic and monotony of life on the road, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of a passionate young rock band in their searing prime.
“On The Road” opens in the U.K. on September 29th. There’s no U.S. date for the picture just yet.