Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

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Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
Billie Eilish - The World's a Little Blurry.png
Promotional release poster
Directed by R. J. Cutler
Written byR. J. Cutler
Produced by
  • R. J. Cutler
  • Anthony Seyler
  • Trevor Smith
  • Chelsea Dodson
  • Michelle An
  • Jay Peterson
  • Todd Lubin
  • Mark DiCristofaro
Starring
Edited by
  • Lindsey Utz
  • Greg Finton
Music by
  • Billie Eilish
  • Finneas O'Connell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • February 26, 2021 (2021-02-26)
Running time
140 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1–2 million

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry is a 2021 American documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and centered around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. [1] [2] The film details Eilish's rise to fame since the release of her 2016 single "Ocean Eyes" and the creative process behind Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), [3] with the title referencing a lyric from the album track "Ilomilo". [4] The film was released in select theaters via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021. [5] [6]

Contents

Synopsis

Rather than a linear narrative, the film follows several intertwining plot threads in a stream-of-consciousness style.

Production

Recording for the film began in 2018 and was completed in early 2020. [7] The Hollywood Reporter wrote in December 2019 that the film was developed with a budget between $1 million and $2 million. [7] They also claimed that the film was worth $25 million before being purchased by Apple TV+, but this claim was later denied by Eilish's team. [8] [7]

Release

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry was officially announced via Eilish's social media profiles on September 28, 2020, [9] but had begun developing attention as soon as late 2019, [10] and more after she discussed it in several press interviews in early 2020. [11] [12]

The film was released in select theaters and IMAX via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021. [5] [6]

Critical response

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry was released to widespread acclaim. [13] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 100 critics have given the film a positive review, with a 7.3 out of 10 average rating. The website's critical consensus reads, "Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry offers an enlightening -- and sometimes uncomfortable -- look behind the scenes of a young star's ascension." [14] According to Metacritic, the documentary received "generally favorable reviews", based on an average score of 70 out of 100 from 23 critic reviews. [15] It was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, including the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Picture Editing, and Outstanding Music Direction. [16]

Awards and nominations

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards September 12, 2021 Outstanding Music Direction Aron ForbesNominated [16]
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming Greg Finton, Lindsay Utz, Azin SamariNominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program Elmo Ponsdomenech, Jason Gaya, Aron Forbes, Jae KimNominated
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera) Richard E. Yawn, Robert Getty, Steven Avila, Shawn Kennelly, Michael Brake, Melissa Kennelly, Vince NicastroNominated
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards November 14, 2021 Best Music DocumentaryBillie Eilish: The World's a Little BlurryNominated [17]
Seattle Film Critics Society January 17, 2022 Best Documentary FeatureNominated [18]
Cinema Eye Honors March 1, 2022 Audience Choice PrizeNominated [19]
American Cinema Editors Awards March 5, 2022 Best Edited Documentary – (Non-Theatrical) Greg Finton, Lindsay UtzNominated [20]
Golden Reel Awards March 13, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary Richard Yawn, Michael Brake, Rob Getty, Steven Avila, Shawn Kennelly, Melissa Kennelly, Vince NicastroNominated [21]
Cinema Audio Society Awards March 19, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials Jae Kim, Elmo Ponsdomenech, Jason "Frenchie" Gaya, Aron Forbes, Jeffrey Roy, Shawn KennellyNominated [22]

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References

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