He had to choose between his best friend… the woman he loved… and the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.

Director: Iain Softley
Written by: Iain Softley, Michael Thomas, Stephen Ward
Cast: Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell

Year / Country: 1994, United Kingdom, Germany
Running Time: 100 mins.

Just let me hear some of that rock and roll music.
Any old way you choose it.
It’s got a backbeat, you can’t lose it.
Any old time you use it.
Gotta be rock and roll music.
If you want to dance with me.
If you want to dance with me.

Liverpool, 1960 – home of the soon-to-be-famous Liverpudlians John Lennon (Ian Hart), Paul McCartney (Gary Bakewell), and Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff). Stu is a talented painter who uses the money from selling his first painting to buy a bass guitar. He joins the band of his best friend John, and John convinces him to come along to Hamburg, where they’ve been asked to perform in a nightclub for an extended period.

They arrive on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg and end up sleeping in a run-down porno theatre. Between strip acts in the Kaiserkeller, they play classic rock ’n’ roll songs for drunken German crowds. Their energy and raw talent spill out of every performance. But Stuart’s heart soon turns to something other than the music and the band: he falls in love with the local photographer Astrid.

Backbeat captures the true story of the Beatles before they were famous. It was in Hamburg that they learned to play together night after night (fueled by speed pills) and built up their insanely extensive repertoire. Ringo wasn’t in the band yet (Pete Best was the drummer), and the group still had five members rather than four. It is also the tragic story of John Lennon’s best friend and a beautiful love story. Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee are great in their lead roles.

What impresses most about the film is the music. It truly captures the spirit and passion of this incredible moment in history. I expect that Sam Mendes’ four biographical films scheduled for 2028 will draw heavily from the same sources – and from Backbeat – in capturing the beginnings of the sensational life story of the greatest band in history, and of the man who tragically never got to see what came after.

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Biography: Iain Softley (1956, London) is a British film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his visually distinctive style and interest in character-driven stories. He first gained professional recognition directing music videos and documentaries for the BBC before transitioning into feature films. Softley’s debut feature, Backbeat (1994), a drama about the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, earned international acclaim and multiple award nominations. He followed this with the cult-favorite cyber-thriller Hackers (1995), which helped launch the careers of several actors, including Angelina Jolie. His subsequent films, including The Wings of the Dove (1997), K-PAX (2001) and The Skeleton Key (2005) showcased a wide stylistic range. Softley has also worked extensively in television and stage, including adaptations and original productions.

Filmography (a selection): Backbeat (1994), Hackers (1995), Toni Braxton: How Could an Angel Break My Heart (1997, music video), K-PAX (2001), The Skeleton Key (2005), Inkheart (2008), Playhouse Presents (2012, TV Episode), Trap for Cinderella (2013), The Outcast (2015, TV Episodes), Curve (2015), The Shepherd (2023, short)