Greetings again from the darkness. The Music Box series at HBO brings us this documentary from Amy Berg (Oscar nominated for DELIVER US FROM EVIL, 2006), who profiles the tragic tale of the immensely talented Jeff Buckley. When he died in 1997 at age 30, Buckley had only released one album, "Grace". Many musicians and critics call it one of the best albums ever. This film tells us how he reached that level.
Throughout the film we hear stories and memories from Jeff's mother, Mary Guibert, and his ex-girlfriends, Rebecca Moore and Joan Wasser. Mom recalls baby Jeff 'vocalizing' to the radio from his bassinet. She also explains how Jeff's father, Tim, left to pursue his own career rather than stick around to be part of a family. Yes, you might recognize the name Tim Buckley. He was a popular musician who died at age 28 from a heroin overdose. Seventeen-year-old single mom, Mary, and Jeff 'raised each other' and Jeff always had a close bond with mom. Young Jeff even got to see his dad perform once, and ultimately sang at his dad's funeral.
Much of the film is dedicated to detailing how Jeff honed the skills to sync with his other-worldly singing voice. He was a poetic songwriter in the vein of Bob Dylan and Morrissey, while Soundgarden and Led Zeppelin influenced his musical style. Just to highlight his uniqueness, Jeff also covered Nina Simone, and is best remembered for his haunting cover of Leonard Cohen's iconic "Hallelujah". Singer Aimee Mann ('Til Tuesday) also provides some perspective from a musician's viewpoint.
One of my favorite nuggets here is how Jeff found a good (re)use for Michael Bolton cassettes, but a key point is how his tremendous debut album was so unique that it proved to be an uneasy fit for radio play. Director Berg includes a great deal of archival footage that I'd never seen - both concerts and interviews. Jeff was a young man who suffered from depression, and would likely receive better treatment these days. His death in Wolf River in Memphis still seems a bit confusing in light of how he had spent the previous couple of weeks. We hear the final voicemail he left for his mother, and it's heartbreaking. Music was Jeff's entire being, and a reminder that some souls simply burn too hot to last long.
Premieres on HBO on December 4, 2025.
