Documentary on legendary rock critic Robert Christgau to premiere at SXSW

The Last Critic has been selected for the festival’s Documentary Feature Competition. Directed by Matty Wishnow and produced by Paul Lovelace, Ben Wu and Joe Levy, the film examines Christgau’s six-decade career, which began in 1967 with a report on the Monterey Pop Festival for Esquire. He is perhaps best known for creating the Consumer Guide review format during his tenure at The Village Voice, where he served as music editor and penned thousands of his signature letter-graded, capsule reviews.

The documentary positions Christgau, now in his eighties and still publishing reviews on his Substack, as a pivotal but polarising figure who helped define modern music criticism and features interviews with the likes of musicians Thurston Moore, Randy Newman and Boots Riley, alongside fellow critics Greil Marcus, Ann Powers and Kelefa Sanneh.

Despite his legacy, Christgau’s blunt style has famously rankled subjects; he infuriated everyone from Lou Reed to Billy Joel – the latter reportedly disliked Christgau almost as much as the critic disliked his music.

Christgau's advocacy also extended beyond music to generations of writers, helping kickstart start the careers of critics like Greg Tate, Colson Whitehead and Nelson George.

The film's soundtrack includes music from artists connected to Christgau’s writing, including Yo La Tengo, Big Thief, The Feelies and Phosphorescent.

The first screening of The Last Critic is scheduled for 14 March at the Alamo South Lamar, with further plays on 16 and 18 March. The film is slated for additional festival appearances throughout 2026 ahead of a limited theatrical release.