Director: Chris Smith

Stars: George Michael, Andrew Ridgeley

As 2023 marks 40 years of iconic pop duo Wham! the celebrations have been nothing but brilliant. With the celebrations comes the release of Wham! on Netflix, a documentary highlighting the fame and friendship of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.

As a Wham! fan, I was so excited that I was lucky enough to get tickets to see the documentary on the big screen at Vue Gateshead. Wham! was showcased for one night only at a few select cinemas around the UK on the 27th June, prior to the official Netflix release date, which was the 5th July.

Using archived interviews and footage, the documentary portrayed the close bond between Michael and Ridgeley, and the trials and successes they faced throughout their time together in Wham! Smith’s use of archived footage for video and voiceovers was a genius move, rather than being just a reflection of the past, with the usual talking heads, the story unfolded it was happening. The intimacy gave the audience a true personal connection; genuinely making you feel like you were in the room with them, and they were telling you their story.

The personal aspects of the documentary made you see who they were outside of the music. Wham! reflected the personalities of the duo and what went on off stage, covering sensitive topics such as Michael struggling with his sexuality, and Ridgeley feeling the frustrations of the negative publicity. I found myself singing, laughing and even crying, Smith’s film was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster, in the best way possible, of course.

By Sophie Middleton