The following is a quick review of Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids – a Netflix concert documentary.
I’m a big fan of Justin Timberlake. A fan of him as a singer as well as an actor. He is an entertainer, in the truest sense of the word. This fact is highlighted in the incredibly entertaining Netflix concert documentary Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids, which highlights the final performances during Timberlake’s ’20/20 Experience World Tour.’
Now, do you need to be a fan of Timberlake to enjoy this film? Well, yes and no. This documentary should entertain you, but there are some songs that aren’t well-known, and they may not hold your interest. But make no mistake, this is a sublime and energetic concert documentary.
The documentary is bookended by two sequences of backstage footage. The first sequence introduces you to the venue very briefly, before introducing the people Justin Timberlake is about to perform with. Timberlake comes off as a really fun guy to be around, and it really shows during the concert as the band and the background dancers seem genuinely excited to be there.
The last sequence of backstage footage, which is shown during the end credits, you see the stage show being made ready. You see people working hard to get the show on the road, as it were. And I really wish, we had more backstage footage in this documentary. It would have been a nice breather in the middle of the concert.
The concert itself is terrific, though. It opens with a great performance of “Pusher Love Girl,” and ends with a satisfying performance of “Mirror.” The other highlights from the concert were, for me, performances of “Rock Your Body,” “What Goes Around… Comes Around,” Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” and Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison.”
Director Jonathan Demme and director of photography Declan Quinn should really be commended for delivering an energetic concert. It captured everything it needed to do, to make you feel engrossed in the concert. The camerawork is terrifically done.
This really is a little Netflix gem. It is a fantastic little concert. When at the end of the concert during a performance of “Mirror,” an amazed Timberlake is seen clapping with the audience and shaking his head in disbelief, you can’t help but smile. This was an experience and you were entertained.
8 out of 10
– Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 