In the years before Ronald Reagan took office, Manhattan was in ruins. But true art has never come from comfort, and it was precisely those dire circumstances that inspired artists like Jim Jarmusch, Lizzy Borden, and Amos Poe to produce some of their best works. Taking their cues from punk rock and new wave music, these young maverick filmmakers confronted viewers with a stark reality that stood in powerful contrast to the escapist product being churned out by Hollywood.

Cobain: Montage of Heck
2015
7.6/10

Stop Making Sense
1984
8.3/10

Halftime
2022
6.8/10

Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition
2026
8.7/10

In the Realms of the Unreal
2004
7.2/10

The Decline of Western Civilization
1981
7.2/10

Hot Girls Wanted
2015
6.1/10

Everybody’s Everything
2019
8.4/10

The Last Waltz
1978
7.7/10

WHAM!
2023
7.3/10

Becoming Led Zeppelin
2025
7.4/10

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
2025
6.2/10

Janis: Little Girl Blue
2015
7.3/10

Katy Perry: Part of Me
2012
7.1/10

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
2022
8.5/10

A Decade Under the Influence
2003
7.9/10

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
1988
6.8/10

Justin Bieber's Believe
2013
6.9/10

The Greatest Night in Pop
2024
7.9/10

The Filth and the Fury
2000
6.9/10
Denim
2017
0/10