When Pavements debuted at last year’s Venice Film Festival, it skyrocketed to one of my most anticipated releases of this calendar year. I have been a fan of the indie-rock band Pavement for four years, and I was cautiously optimistic to see how Alex Ross Perry would handle a film about one of the 90s’ most laid-back bands. What Perry does in this film is exactly what Pavement would have wanted, combining various genres into a singular biopic that stands out above the masses as a wholly unique vision.
Pavements is not only a biopic but a documentary, a concert film, a juke-box musical, and a beautiful tribute to the band that so many people love. You may have read that last sentence and thought, “How could all of those pieces come together?” But the way Perry incorporates archival footage into the script works beautifully.
Perry’s film stars the band members themselves, Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kanberg, Bob Nastanovich, Mark Ibold, and Steve West, as well as a star-studded cast for the “biopic” portion. Names include Joe Keery as Malkmus, Nat Wolff as Kanberg, Fred Hechinger as Nastanovich, Logan Miller as Ibold, Griffin Newman as Steve West, and Jason Schwartzman as Chris Lombardi, the band’s manager and the founder of Matador Records, where the band was signed.
Pavements stands out for its incorporation of different genres of filmmaking, never feeling tacky or without purpose. When the documentary shifts to the biopic, it’s done in a fashion similar to Walk Hard (2007), working as a satire on the current climate of musical biopics. Keery’s deadpan, dry portrayal of Malkmus makes the satire work even better, seeing as a large portion of Pavements follows him trying to get into the character of Stephen to prepare for the biopic. Eventually, there is a shift to a juke-box musical, which has to be the funniest part of the entire film because it takes itself so seriously. The film doesn’t forget to be actually serious at times, though, as the documentary portion is sincere and made me smile the entire run time.
Perry’s filmmaking choices throughout are excellent. From the changing aspect ratios for each section to the usage of archival footage to the editing, Perry is firing on all cylinders. One second, we’re looking at Keery doing a caricature; seconds later, we’re cutting to the Pavement musical production. Yet the tonal shifts never feel odd. It all fits together seamlessly without any faults. Nothing ever feels forced, letting the documentary aspect have a fly-on-the-wall atmosphere, and the juke-box musical sections include both seriousness and liveliness. Perry puts a lot of his talent on display.
As a fan of the band, Pavements gave me everything I asked for and then some, but as I left the theater, I wondered to myself: “If someone came to watch this having no idea who Pavement is, would they enjoy it?”
This has been on my mind since seeing the film, but you can find something in Pavements, no matter your knowledge of the matter. There is so much going on throughout the film to keep you engaged, and it gives you information about the band from their beginning to their resurgence on TikTok. The structure and presentation of the film may throw off viewers at first, but once you settle into the creative and innovative format, it becomes such a pleasant viewing experience.
The greatness of Pavements lies in its execution and laid-back storytelling, a style that itself serves as a great tribute to the band’s legacy. The film’s style feels like everything Pavement stood for: They just wanted to make music and spread that love of music to anyone who wanted to hear it. They didn’t care about fame or album sales, they didn’t want to be sellouts or a part of brand campaigns, and, most importantly, their idea of being successful was different from the norm of the industry. It’s one of their most endearing qualities; it’s what makes them great. The film conveys this wonderfully, and I applaud Perry for being able to fit all their main ideas in such a raw fashion.
Pavements redefines what a biopic film can be in a way that should teach everyone a lesson. Are the rags-to-riches stories like Rocketman (2019), A Complete Unknown (2024), and Elvis (2022) becoming all too familiar? Yes. But with a film like Pavements, there’s a different way to tell these stories. This film can change the landscape for biopics, and I’m excited to see how this influences the genre in the future.
Review Courtesy of Jacob Diedenhofer
Feature Image Courtesy of FilmForum and Utopia Pictures